Soldiers, police prevent students protest on Kaduna-Abuja road, Third Mainland Bridge Lagos

The Federal Government has deployed large number of soldiers and policemen in the Kaduna-Abuja highway to prevent students union leaders from protesting along the road against the prolonged strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

Armed policemen were also spotted on the Third Mainland Bridge, Lagos, in anticipation of aggrieved students blocking the major road linking the Lagos mainland to the island.

Leaders of the Students’ Union Government from various institutions in Kaduna had threatened to take over the highway Wednesday as part of measures towards ending the lingering strike action by ASUU.

Kaduna State Government through the Commissioner for Internal Security and Homes Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, on Tuesday cautioned the students against blocking the road, sighting security concerns.

It was observed along the Kaduna-Abuja highway presence of heavily armed soldiers, policemen and Kaduna Vigilante Services personnel.

Some of the security agents were seen sitting in their vehicles stationed at different locations around the Gonin Gora community along the highway.

However, the students’ union through the Chairman Taskforce on End ASUU Strike, Dominic Philip, said the students had suspended the planned protest since Tuesday, following an intervention by the Commissioner of Police in the state and other security agencies.

He assured the students that they did not back out from blocking the road out of cowardice but because they did not want to create unnecessary hardship for other motorists and travellers plying the road.

He said, “However, due to several calls from well-meaning Nigerians and calls by the security agencies for considerations of the peculiarity of Kaduna about the volatility of security of the city, we have chosen to demonstrate the kind of gesture that we expect the negotiating parties, especially the federal government, to exhibit in their meetings so that there could be a headway towards ending the strike.

“We are also aware that blocking the road will create a long gridlock which might take up to 10 kilometers and based on the fact that there might not be another route for commuters to use. We also know that the alternative route to Abuja is not safe