‘ARMY OF OCCUPATION’: Residents question heavy security during Tinubu’s visit to Oba of Lagos

*Say “after all” Atiku, Amaechi even Babangida, respectively, drive, drove themselves around in Abuja

*”We are not opposed to adequate security for the President but security arrangements should not unnecessarily paralyse the lives of ordinary citizens”

By OUR REPORTER

For such such reason was why President Muhammadu Buhari (2015-2023) refused to attend Jumat Service with his Muslim brothers, sisters and Islamic leaders at the National Mosque in Abuja because, according to him, he did not want to make his Nigerian people inconvenient on weekly basis. He would rather pray Jumah in the small place of worship he had in the Aso Rock Presidential Villa with the State House Imam leading him and his presidency officials who were Muslims without bothering the non-Muslims.

Several Lagos residents have expressed concern over the heavy presence of armed soldiers and the disruption of movement witnessed around Isale Eko on Sunday, October 4, 2026, during President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s visit to the palace of the Oba of Lagos.

The residents, who spoke anonymously, described the security deployment as too intolerably heavy, with soldiers stationed shutting all access roads leading to the palace and surrounding areas. They say it has been the practice since the president got to office.

One of them described the situation as resembling an “army of occupation”, questioning why soldiers, rather than the police alone, were deployed in such numbers for what was understood to be a visit to the monarch.

“What was happening? Are we at war? After all, only on Saturday October 3, 2026 Atiku Abubakar and Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, who are supposed to be the most jittery or fearful for their security in this election campaign season, drive themselves round Abuja buying fuel like ordinary citizens at the filling station without visible security guards. During the military regime, President Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida drove himself around in Abuja. What does Tinubu want to achieve by doing this heavily armed soldiers guarding around in a Lagos State where he claims to be popular?”, the resident asked.

According to the residents, several roads around Isale Eko were blocked for an extended period, making it difficult for people to move in and out of the area.

For such such reason was why President Muhammadu Buhari (2015-2023) refused to attend Jumat Service with his Muslim brothers, sisters and Islamic leaders at the National Mosque in Abuja because, according to him, he did not want to make his Nigerian people inconvenient on weekly basis. He would rather pray Jumah in the small place of worship he had in the Aso Rock Presidential Villa with the State House Imam leading him and his presidency officials who were Muslims without bothering the non-Muslims.

In most of Buhari’s presidential visits to Lagos, for instance, he used chopper from the Presidential Wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport to his official destinations and back to the airport where he then flew back to the seat of power where he was meant to be to provide leadership for Nigerians.

This, The DEFENDER investigation revealed, was because the Daura, Katsina State-born former Military Head of State and former two-term democratically elected President and Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces knew the densely populated nature of Lagos and did not want to inconvenience his Nigerian people from that extraction.

On the Tinubu’s visit on Saturday, the complaining residents alleged that commuters who wanted to leave the area were prevented from doing so, while others attempting to return home were also reportedly delayed by the security restrictions.

Another resident said the situation amounted to a virtual shutdown of the Isale Eko area for about four hours.

“We understand that the President requires security, but why should an entire community be virtually shut down because of a visit to the palace?” the resident asked.

In all, they also questioned the level of military involvement in securing the visit, particularly the presence of heavily armed personnel at strategic points.

“Police would ordinarily provide security for such a visit. Why were soldiers everywhere, fully armed and on alert?” another resident asked.

The concerns come against the backdrop of growing public sensitivity to the deployment of military personnel in civilian environments, particularly when such deployments affect freedom of movement and everyday commercial activities.

The residents said they were not opposed to adequate security for the President or any other dignitary, but argued that security arrangements should not unnecessarily paralyse the lives of ordinary citizens.

“What was the reason for the visit that required this kind of security operation?” one resident asked.

Another resident said the authorities should explain the rationale behind the extensive restrictions so that residents would not be left to speculate about the reason for what they experienced.

The residents stressed that their concerns were not necessarily about President Tinubu’s visit to the Oba of Lagos, but about the scale of the security operation and its impact on residents.

They called for greater consideration for ordinary Lagosians whenever major political or official movements take place in densely populated areas.

As of the time of filing this report, there was no independent confirmation that the security deployment was intended to “occupy” the area, nor was there any indication that the authorities had described the operation in such terms.

The account by the residents therefore reflects their perception of the security arrangements and the disruption they said they experienced during the President’s visit.