The beehive of activities associated with Ikorodu, a suburb of Lagos, was missing as the much-publicised nationwide protest began on Thursday.

The atmosphere in the town was peaceful, with fewer vehicular activities, closed stalls and a heavy security presence.

At popular Sabo Market, skeletal trading activities were ongoing, as gates into the market were locked as of 10:30 a.m. except for the main gate along Sabo-Itumoja Junction.

A visit to Ladega Market, off Ayangburen Road, showed closed stalls and deserted streets. However, some traders were noticed loitering around.

Mrs Shukura Hassan, a teacher, said she visited the market hoping to get some groceries but was disappointed to meet the shops locked.

“Initially, I thought the locked stalls were because of the usual Thursday environmental sanitation,” she said.

Also, a visit to the interstate park at Ikorodu Garage showed buses calling passengers to locations such as Ijebu-Ode, Sagamu, Abeokuta, and Ibadan.

However, a check at Peace Mass Transit Park showed no travellers, buses were parked, and people were discussing outside the gate.

The crowd and long queues usually associated with the BRT Terminal at Ikorodu Garage were missing as few BRT buses were seen and a few passengers were boarding.

(NAN)