Abuja Highway Shut For Buhari Over Son's Wedding After Shunning Gen Attahiru’s Burial ‘To Avoid Road Closure’

Many Nigerians who live along the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Road in Abuja on Friday got more than what they bargained for as security operatives locked down the expressway for hours to allow President Muhammadu Buhari travel for his son's wedding.

The situation forced many motorists to abandon their vehicles on the road as a result of chaotic gridlock.

The roads were closed for hours as those going to and from the airport were blocked from having passage to avoid them driving close to the convoy of the President. Some of them were said to have been harassed by overzealous armed policemen and soldiers who were deployed to the road.

The adjoining Area 1 and Berger roads were also closed by the security operatives at the city gate, which made the traffic congestion to stretch towards the city centre.

Angry residents who were caught up in the gridlock expressed their frustration towards the action of the President and security agents as they hurled insults at them for subjecting them to such hardship.

Many of them said the President should have used helicopter shuttle from the Aso Villa to the airport instead of causing commotion on the roads for Nigerians. 

SaharaReporters learnt that the President was heading to Adamawa to visit the family of the late Alhaji Ahmed Joda, a former federal Permanent Secretary and chairman of the 18-member transition committee, nominated by Buhari to receive the handover notes from the Goodluck Jonathan-led administration in 2015.

Also the President will later proceed to Kano for the wedding fathia between his son, Yusuf and Zahra Bayero, the daughter of the Emir of Bichi, Nasiru Ado Bayero.

SaharaReporters had earlier reported that Yusuf and Zahra's wedding is scheduled to hold on Friday, August 20.

The wedding ceremony is set to hold at the palace of the bride's father, Nasir Ado-Bayero, who is the traditional ruler of Bichi in Kano State.

Yusuf is set to get married to his bride to embark on a journey which started with their meeting while studying in the United Kingdom.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu had on May 27, 2021, while speaking on Arise TV, said Buhari failed to attend the burial of the late Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Ibrahim Attahiru and 10 other military officers who died in a plane crash in Kaduna because he didn’t want to be on the road for Nigerians to be molested by security agents.