Tinubu’s Arrival: ‘This Is The Kind Of Madness Going On’ – Effiong Condemns Heavy Traffic

Inibehe Effiong Key Takeaways President Bola Tinubu returned to Nigeria on Tuesday, as military and police restricted movement on major roads leading to airports in Abuja and Lagos. Presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, confirmed Tinubu’s return to Lagos after he left Nigeria on August 30 for a working vacation in Europe. Human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, said airport roadblocks made him late for his Abuja flight and caused heavy security disruption at Lagos airport. President Bola Tinubu’s return to Nigeria on Tuesday was preceded by heightened security operations in Abuja and Lagos, with military and police personnel restricting movement along major routes leading to the airports.

The President, who left the country on August 30 for what the Presidency described as a working vacation in Europe, departed Paris, France, on Tuesday and was expected to arrive at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos later that evening.

Presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, confirmed the President’s return to Lagos.

The Presidency had earlier announced that Tinubu extended his stay in Europe by a few days after spending time in London before travelling to Paris.

During his stay in France, the President held engagements with French President Emmanuel Macron and businessman Vincent Bollore.

According to the State House, Tinubu opted to return through Lagos to honour the memory of the late businessman and politician, Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, a prominent figure in Nigeria’s pro-democracy struggle.

The President is also expected to attend the national premiere of a documentary on Abiola at the Wole Soyinka National Theatre, Lagos, on October 1, Nigeria’s 66th Independence Day anniversary.

The President’s return, however, led to significant movement restrictions around airports in Abuja and Lagos.

Security personnel mounted roadblocks along major routes as part of arrangements for the President’s arrival, leaving some travellers and other road users stranded.

Human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, in a post on 𝕏, said he was among those affected by the restrictions in Abuja.

Effiong said he arrived late for his flight after encountering what he described as an unusual security roadblock mounted by military and police personnel.

“I arrived a bit late for my flight in Abuja this afternoon because of an unusual roadblock mounted by the military and the police in anticipation of Tinubu’s return,” he said.

He later criticised the security restrictions after arriving in Lagos, where he said he witnessed a heavy security presence around the airport.

“I just arrived in Lagos, and this is the kind of madness that is going on at the Lagos airport,” Effiong said.

The lawyer questioned the scale of the security operation, particularly the disruption to travellers using the country’s busiest airport.

“How can the busiest airport in the commercial capital of a country be put on lockdown for hours because an absentee President is on his way back to the country?” he asked.

Effiong also criticised the inconvenience caused to residents, travellers and other airport users, questioning whether the restrictions were necessary.

“The whole of Lagos will be on lockdown for a man whose disastrous regime has ushered in nothing but terrible policies, mass poverty and corruption,” he added.

Assistant Editor @Naija News, Industrial psychologist, Vocalist, Music Director, Musician. Email: [email protected]

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