Security was heightened on Thursday, June 4, at the entrance and exit points of the Presidential Villa in Abuja as a planned protest over the k!dnapping of schoolchildren in Oyo State commenced in the nation’s capital.

Security personnel, including officers from the police, the Department of State Services (DSS), and the military, established checkpoints and roadblocks around the Villa, conducting thorough screening of everyone entering the premises.

State House staff were required to present valid identification cards before gaining access to the complex, although there were no reports of hara$$ment during the process.

By about 8:00 a.m., vehicles approaching the Presidential Villa from various entry routes were subjected to rigorous checks, with a strong security presence observed along roads linking the Asokoro and Federal Secretariat areas.

The enhanced security measures resulted in heavy traffic congestion in parts of Abuja as security agencies intensified surveillance and access control while the protest took place in the city.