Army, Abuja indigenes in collision course over land dispute

The last may not have been heard of the case of resettling indigenous people of the FCT whose lands has  being used by the federal government of Nigeria for the built of Federal infrastructures for the development of the Nigeria capital city.

The recent face-off between the indigenous people of Tunga Maje, a town located at Zuba a border community to Niger state, indicates that all has not been well with the process introduced by the previous FCT administration, to cushion the effects of resettling the affected people of the FCT.

Addressing the Minister of FCT, in his office, leader of protesting Tungamaji ingenious people, Alhaji Jubril maman, said that the protest march to the minister’s office, is to register its grievances over inhuman maltreatment of their people by the Nigeria Army who has over taken their lands, without due process of resettlement policy of the FCT administration.

According to Jubrin maman, in a ten page petition/protest letter to the Honourable Minister of FCT, Mallam muhammed Bello, he stated that the disputed land, is known as Zuba 11, Gwawgalada area council and was designed and allocated to various individuals, companies and Government institutions such as customary courts, area courts for the purpose of administration of justice within its reach.

The people reminded that the presence of several allocations made by Government, has actually improved the lives of people living in Tunga Maje and its environs, stressing that any obstruction, by the Nigeria army, would create disaffection to the already established settling for the past three hundred years.

His words, “‘the Nigeria Army, is illegally occupying the huge portion of land, without due process. we hereby ask the Honourable Minister to revisit the land use policy of the FCT, this is because there has been some interlocutory injunctions from the Abuja high court asking the Army to stop trespassing pending the determination of the court.”

The protesting indigenes of Tunga Maje Zuba community, also frowned over the statement elicited from the military authority, that the indigenes, has become illegal occupants, after three hundred years of existence. ‘

“Honourable Minister, where is the rule of law, we know that there is the resettlement policy in the FCT, which has been in use in resettlement programme, while is our own different, the due process must be followed and our people adequately compensated before the army fully occupy the land.”

Leader of the group, however, submitted that the Army, should be asked to stop carrying out further building of structures pending the determination of issues surrounding the place.

Responding on behalf of the Minister, Director special project in the FCTA, Chief Dr. Samuel U. Attang, advised the Army of protesters to be law abiding as their massage while duly be delivered the Honourable minister, for a quicker action and intervention over the matter.

According to the senior Director, who promised immediate revolve of the dispute said that the present administration of the FCT, is such that has human face and deals everyone equally. He promised that the Minister, will in no distance time beck on the warring parties for a truce.