Abuja, Nigeria – October 20, 2025 – The bustling heart of Nigeria's capital ground to a near standstill this morning as heavy security roadblocks triggered crippling traffic gridlock at key entry points into the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The disruptions, centered around the Zuba and Nyanya areas, have left thousands of commuters, civil servants, traders, and students stranded for hours, turning a routine Monday commute into a nightmare of frustration and desperation. The measures, implemented by armed forces and police operatives in anticipation of the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest demanding the release of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader Nnamdi Kanu, have drawn sharp criticism from residents who decry the heavy-handed approach as an infringement on their right to free movement.
Eyewitness accounts paint a vivid picture of the pandemonium. At Zuba, just before the Army Barracks, soldiers from the Guards Brigade erected multiple barricades as early as 4 a.m., subjecting every vehicle to rigorous searches and delays. "We've been stuck here since 6 a.m. – no food, no water, and the sun is beating down mercilessly," lamented Aisha Mohammed, a bank teller from Kubwa who alighted from her bus to trek the remaining kilometers to the city center. Similar scenes unfolded at Nyanya, where the Kugbo-Nyanya Expressway – a vital artery for commuters from Nasarawa State – became a parking lot of honking vehicles stretching several kilometers. Motorists attempting to bypass the jams via inner roads like the Mararaba-Nyanya highway or Dei-Dei axis only encountered more checkpoints, exacerbating the bottlenecks.
The gridlock's ripple effects extended far beyond these hotspots. Reports from the Abuja-Keffi and Abuja-Kaduna expressways indicate slowdowns as far as Karu and Mararaba, with parked vehicles and protest-related gatherings spilling onto lanes. In Bwari and Dutse, residents from satellite towns like Ushafa and Mpappe faced hours-long waits, forcing many office workers to abandon their cars and foot it to destinations such as the Federal Secretariat or Eagle Square. "This isn't security; it's sabotage. How do you lock down a whole city on a workday without alternatives?" fumed Chukwudi Okoro, a trader from Nyanya whose market stall remained empty due to the delay. Social media erupted with videos capturing the despair: clips of irate drivers arguing with uniformed officers, families with children crammed in overheating vehicles, and long lines of pedestrians laden with bags trudging along dusty shoulders.
Compounding the misery, several videos circulating on platforms like X (formerly Twitter) show protesters and bystanders choking on tear gas deployed by police to disperse small gatherings near the checkpoints. One particularly harrowing footage, shared widely by activist accounts, depicts a group of young demonstrators – some bearing placards reading "Release Nnamdi Kanu Now" and "End IPOB Persecution" – fleeing as canisters explode, their coughs audible over the din of blaring horns. "We're inhaling poison just to go to work. This protest is for justice, but the response is pure brutality," one anonymous poster captioned the clip, which has garnered thousands of views and retweets under hashtags like #FreeNnamdiKanuNow and #AbujaGridlock. Health experts have since warned of potential respiratory issues among the exposed, especially vulnerable groups like the elderly and children caught in the crossfire.
The #FreeNnamdiKanuNow movement, spearheaded by human rights activist Omoyele Sowore of the African Action Congress (AAC), marks a renewed push for the unconditional release of Kanu, who has been detained since his dramatic 2021 rearrest by the Department of State Services (DSS). Kanu, 57, faces terrorism charges in a trial that critics argue is politically motivated, stemming from his broadcasts on Radio Biafra advocating for the secession of southeastern Nigeria. Despite a 2023 Court of Appeal ruling quashing the charges and ordering his release – later overturned by the Supreme Court – his case remains a flashpoint for ethnic tensions in the oil-rich southeast. Sowore, addressing supporters via live streams amid the chaos, declared the protest a "resilience test against tyranny," linking it to broader calls for democratic reforms and an end to what he termed "judicial kidnapping."
Security agencies, including the FCT Police Command and military spokespersons, justified the roadblocks as "precautionary" to avert violence, citing intelligence on potential infiltrations by hoodlums. A Federal High Court order from October 17 had already barred demonstrations near sensitive sites like the Presidential Villa, National Assembly, and Force Headquarters, but organizers proceeded with marches toward Eagle Square. By midday, reports emerged of arrests, including Kanu's lawyer, Ifeanyi Ejimakor, and his brother, Prince Emmanuel Kanu, detained at the FCT Command CID in Garki. Police confirmed dispersing crowds with minimal force but offered no timeline for easing restrictions.
The U.S. Embassy in Abuja had preemptively issued a security alert on October 17, advising American nationals to avoid the Central Business District and limit movements due to fears of "roadblocks, traffic congestion, and confrontations that could turn violent." Schools in the area were urged to keep children home, and domestic staff from outlying areas were told to stay put – a stark reminder of Abuja's vulnerability to protest fallout.
Economically, the shutdown inflicted immediate pain. Civil servants risked salary deductions for tardiness, while small businesses in Nyanya and Zuba markets saw foot traffic evaporate. Taxi and bus drivers, already grappling with soaring fuel prices from recent subsidy removals, tallied losses in the thousands of naira per hour. "We burn diesel waiting in line, but earn nothing. This hits the poor hardest," said a commercial driver from Mararaba. Analysts estimate the gridlock could cost the FCT economy millions in lost productivity, echoing past disruptions like the 2020 #EndSARS protests, which Sowore invoked today as a somber five-year anniversary.
As the day wore on, traffic began to thaw slightly around 2 p.m., but tensions simmered. Protesters vowed to regroup, while authorities hinted at sustained vigilance. For Abuja's residents, caught between demands for justice and the iron fist of enforcement, today's events underscore a deepening rift: a nation where the right to protest clashes with the imperative of order, leaving ordinary lives in the lurch. Calls for dialogue grow louder, but with Kanu's trial dragging into its fourth year, resolution feels as distant as the city center from a stranded bus at Zuba.
