• Thursday, March 28, 2024
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Activities grounded at FCTA as Abuja natives protest military land takeover

Military
Office activities were grounded and vehicular movement obstructed at the Federal Capital Administration, FCTA headquarters on Monday as Abuja Natives stage a peaceful protest over alleged forceful takeover of their land by the military.

The protesters who blocked the FCTA headquarters main entrance for over three hours, causing traffic grilock which rendered the staff and passers-by stranded demanded that the FCT authorities should ensure that justice is done into the matter.

The protesting natives said they were at the FCTA headquarters to register their grievances over Muhammad Bello, FCT Minister silence over the land matter that resulted into dispute between them and the Nigerian military.

Only last week, one person was feared dead and four  injured in a clash between Abuja natives and soldiers over land at Tungan-Maje village in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

Adamu Isyaku, a leader of the protesters told journalists that, “we are here on a peaceful protest, to let the FCT Minister know that he has fail us, since the matter started and had resulted to loss of a life with others sustaining various degrees of injuries, no one cares about it, even now that they are in the hospital, the military officials are working on the land”.

While accusing the Minister for not showing a sense of concern despite the alarming stage the situation has taken, he said, “the minister does not care about our plight, since the matter started that is why we have come to let him know about it.

“Two of the community members were  killed by the military with several others injured no one has shown concern. Our farm land and  crops are being destroyed by the soldiers without providing alternative for us, the minister should act because he is the one in-charge of FCT”.

Yunusa Yusuf another leader of the group noted that,  it was a worrisome situation for the Minister of FCT, Bello not to take any action despite the natives continued protest and complaints.

Efforts by the FCT Commissioner of Police, Bala Ciroma to calm the protesters hit the brick wall as the aggrieved natives refused to yield to the CP’s plea, insisting that either the FCT Minister or Permanent Secretary should address them, “else we are not going to relent in our peaceful struggle”.

Few members of the protesting natives were later called for a closed door meeting with the FCT Permanent Secretary, Chineayaka Ohaa but outcome of the meeting was not known as journalists were denied access into the venue.