Chibok: Police halt protest march on Presidential Villa

The plan by a civil coalition group to march on the Presidential Villa, Abuja in protest over the abduction of the over 200 female students of the Government Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, was halted by the police on Thursday.

The police blocked the National Assembly junction with personnel and trucks and prevented the protesters from accessing the road that leads to the Presidential Villa.

The police operation was led by the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Suleiman Abba and FCT Commissioner of Police, Joseph Mbu.

The coalition group under the name, “#Bringbackourgirls” had earlier written to the Presidency about its intention to take their daily protest to Aso Villa, but got no response from the authorities.

The group, led by a former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, led the protesters wearing red T-shirts, from the Unity Fountain along Shehu Shagari Way to the Federal Secretariat, where their march to the villa was cut short by the police.

The crowd of protesters caused a traffic jam along the ever busy way and policemen had to divert vehicles to other roads as the demonstrators took over the entire Shehu Shagari Way.

Chanting solidarity songs intermittently, the group massed at the junction to the National Assembly where they were addressed by the FCT Minister of State,Olajumoke Akinjide, who represented President Goodluck Jonathan.

The group raised 10 posers for The Presidency on the abduction of the girls and the security situation in the country.

Among other things, the coalition asked the President why it took the Federal Government so long to seek for assistance from the global community; why the President had yet to visit Chibok since the abduction; the plans for the rehabilitation of Chibok community; specific actions taken after the Paris security summit and whether the government would exchange the abducted girls with Boko Haram members in custody.