Abeokuta – Ogun State’s commercial hub, Abeokuta, experienced a significant slowdown on Thursday as a nationwide protest took hold. The city’s usually bustling streets were eerily quiet, with many businesses closed and few people venturing out.
The impact was palpable at major markets like Panseke and Omida, where trading was minimal. Even the government Secretariat at Oke-Mosan was affected, with only a skeleton staff reporting for duty. The government buses provided to convey workers to the office were parked inside the secretariat.
The Kuto area, normally a hotbed of activity, was also subdued, with few commercial vehicles in sight and commuters forced to walk long distances across the metropolis.
Despite the restrictions imposed by the Ogun High Court, which designated four specific locations for the protest, few demonstrators turned up.
The court had ordered the sponsors of the nationwide protests to limit their activities to four locations in the state: MKO Abiola International Stadium, Abeokuta; Ansar-ud-Deen Comprehensive High School, Ota; Remo Divisional High School, Sagamu; and Dipo Dina Stadium, Ijebu-Ode.
The court also restricted the time of the protests to between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
However, a small group of protesters did march peacefully through the streets of Abeokuta, passing through Oke Ilewo and Ibara before ending at Panseke.
Another small group of about 20 demonstrators also gathered at the Ibadan garage in Ijebu-Ode, but their rally was also peaceful.
The police and army maintained a visible presence, but their efforts were largely precautionary.
Addressing journalists at the MKO Abiola International Stadium, the police commissioner in Ogun, Abiodun Alamutu, said there was no indication of protest.
Mr. Alamutu also noted that no violence had been recorded in any part of the state, adding that his men were on the ground to forestall activities of miscreants who might want to foment trouble.
He assured that the protesters would be protected anytime they show up at the stadium, provided they maintained peace.
The police commissioner advised residents of the state to go about their daily activities, saying that “everything is under control.
The situation was similar at Sango-Ota, where the usually busy tollgate and Joju areas recorded scanty commercial activities but with a heavy presence of security personnel.
The protesters failed to turn up at the Ansar-ud-Deen Comprehensive High School, Ota, Remo Divisional High School, Sagamu, and Dipo Dina Stadium, Ijebu-Ode, where they had been restricted earlier.
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps commandant in Ogun, David Onelabi, confirmed the situation to journalists in Abeokuta, describing the gathering as peaceful.
