Most public offices in the nation’s capital were deserted on Thursday, owing to the protest that many residents feared could lead to unrest.
Though a few people could be seen at their duty posts in some ministries at the Federal Secretariat and the FCTA Secretariat, most of them said they had come out expecting that the protest would no longer hold.
The entire FCTA to FCDA strech was also deserted except for the car park at AGIS where residents gathered for the presentation of Staff of Office to traditional rulers, in the FCT.
Despite the relative calm, some protesters were seen gathered beside the Federal Ministry of Health, moving towards the Ministry of Finance in a peaceful manner.
Tear gas cannisters were shot in the air to disperse raging protesters who gathered around Eagles Square to register their feelings about the state of the nation.
Correspondent who witnessed the moment, reports that a handful of protesters came to the area against the widely publicized information that an Abuja court had approved Moshood Abiola National Stadium.
Despite the tear gas shot by the police to disperse them, the protesters carried on singing and displaying the national flag and placards.
The protesters were relatively orderly at the Moshood Abiola stadium Abuja. However, security agents found it difficult controlling rampaging protesters who had taken control of the ever busy Abuja-Keffi highway.
The protesters, majority of whom are Okada riders, stormed the Nyanya axis of the road chanting ‘ba muayi’ in hausa language meaning ‘we are no longer interested’.
The protesters who wield dangerous weapons, barricaded the road at various intervals with burning tyres while threatening to burn any vehicle trying to convey passengers out of the Nyanya park.
Security agents comprising of the Police, Civil Defence and soldiers tried frantically to prevent the enormous protesters from crossing to the karu bridge section of the highway, but where overwhelmed.
The situation also left hundreds of passengers stranded at the Nyanya park as both commercial and private vehicles were disallowed from conveying passengers while the highway becomes the protesters abode.
In an effort however to ensure the situation does not escalate into full blown violence, truck load of soldiers arrived to bring the situation under control.
