Commuters plying the Keffi-Abuja expressway have been left stranded as military officers have barricaded the highway to conduct a stop-and-search operation on vehicles entering the nation’s capital.

The unexpected blockade, mounted at Sani Abacha barracks before the popular AYA roundabout, left many people caught off guard.

This has led to a gridlock that extended as far as Nyanya Bridge, over 12 kilometres from the checkpoint.

Many civil servants and traders, who live outside the city centre in places such as Nyanya, Karu, Maraba, and Masaka, have also been left stranded.

Reports have it that after hours of standstill, many were forced to return home, frustrated and disappointed.

This incident comes just three days before the planned nationwide protest against the current economic hardship in Nigeria. The protest, scheduled to begin on August 1, aims to draw attention to the rising cost of living and economic hardship faced by many Nigerians.