Anti-riot police deployed heavily at the main gates of the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja on Thursday, June 4, restricting access to only those with State House identification tags. The security reinforcement followed a planned march by human rights activist and African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore, who led protesters under the hashtag #OccupyAsoRock. Sowore had announced the protest Wednesday, stating the Take It Back Movement and AAC leadership would march from Eagle Square to the Presidential Villa at 8:00 a.m. to demand the rescue of abducted schoolchildren. The protest targeted the May 15, 2026, kidnappings of about 39 students and seven teachers from three schools in Esiele and Yawota communities, Oriire Local Government Area, Oyo State, and a separate incident the same day involving 42 pupils abducted from Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School in Askira-Uba, Borno State. Sowore declared, "You cannot claim to be president of Nigeria and then refuse to do the job of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. We are not here to beg anybody." He added, "We are just asking people who claim they are elected to protect Nigerians to do their work. It would have been great if the number of policemen preventing this march could instead protect our schools." He challenged security agents protecting politicians, saying, "Your children are also in schools. If the school becomes a ground for kidnapping, one day your children too will be kidnapped." In response to the abductions, President Tinubu approved the recruitment of 1,000 forest guards and deployment of a specialised rescue unit. A federal delegation led by Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila, including the NSA, the Inspector-General of Police and the Chief of Defence Staff, visited the Oyo communities. The Nigeria Union of Teachers began an indefinite strike in Oyo State on June 1, with solidarity rallies held nationwide on June 2.
Omoyele Sowore demands President Tinubu resign if abducted children are not rescued while simultaneously leading a protest blocked by the very security forces under that same president's command. The officers in riot gear at Aso Rock are the same ones he says should be deployed to schools but are instead used to stop citizens from marching. He cites the kidnapping of children in Oyo and Borno on May 15, 2026, yet plans the protest for June 4, over two weeks later. His call exposes a gap between outrage and timing, with no action taken during the interval before the scheduled march.
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