Commuters traveling on the Keffi-Abuja expressway experienced significant delays on Monday due to a roadblock set up by military officers conducting a stop-and-search operation on vehicles entering Abuja.
DailyTrust reports that the unexpected blockade occurred near the Sani Abacha barracks, just before the well-known AYA roundabout, leading to major disruptions.
The security agencies provided no prior warning before implementing the checkpoint, resulting in a massive traffic jam that stretched back to the Nyanya Bridge, more than 12 kilometers from the roadblock.
This situation left many civil servants, traders, and other commuters from areas such as Nyanya, Karu, Maraba, and Masaka unable to reach their workplaces in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT,.
After hours in standstill traffic, numerous commuters abandoned their journeys and returned home.
The sudden roadblock comes just three days before a planned nationwide protest against economic hardship in Nigeria.
Several youth groups have announced a nationwide protest set to begin on August 1, in response to the rising cost of living and economic difficulties.