Security was beefed up around the gates of the Presidential Villa in Abuja, in a bid to prevent any possible breach amid a planned protest over the kidnapping of schoolchildren in Oyo State.
The police, the Department of State Services (DSS), and the military, mounted checkpoints and roadblocks around the Villa.
The security personnel also carried out strict screening of all entrants.
State House staff were required to present valid identity cards before being allowed into the complex, although no reports of harassment were recorded.
By about 8:00 a.m., vehicles approaching the Villa from different entry points were subjected to rigorous checks, with heavy security presence deployed along routes from the Asokoro and Federal Secretariat axes.
The measures led to significant traffic disruption across parts of Abuja as security agencies tightened control in anticipation of the planned demonstration.
Although no official statement was issued explaining the heightened security, the development is believed to be linked to a Wednesday ultimatum issued by Omoyele Sowore, presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), demanding the rescue of kidnapped pupils in Oyo State.
