Protesters on Saturday stormed the Nyanya-Karu bridge in Abuja, demanding the immediate rescue of schoolchildren and teachers abducted by gunmen in Oyo and Borno states.
The demonstrators, who occupied a section of the busy expressway, called on the administration of President Bola Tinubu to intensify efforts to secure the release of the victims.
The protest caused heavy traffic congestion along the Nyanya-Karu corridor, with commuters stranded for hours before military personnel intervened to restore the flow of traffic.
Chanting “Tinubu must go, bring back our children,” the protesters carried placards bearing messages calling for urgent government action to rescue the abducted pupils and teachers.
Martins Vincent Otse, the social media activist popularly known as VeryDarkMan, joined the demonstration.
Saturday’s protest marked the fourth consecutive day of demonstrations over the abduction of schoolchildren and the worsening security situation in the country.
The protest followed similar demonstrations held in Abuja and other parts of the country during the Democracy Day celebration on Friday, where citizens expressed concern over rising cases of kidnapping and insecurity.
On May 15, armed men attacked three schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, abducting about 39 pupils and seven teachers.
The incident triggered widespread outrage, with families, civil society groups and concerned Nigerians calling on the federal and state governments to take decisive steps to secure the release of the victims and address the growing threat of mass abductions across the country.
