BREAKING: Abuja Residents Flee as Soldiers Allegedly Threaten Violence Over Land Dispute

The army reportedly raided the neighborhood on Sunday night and threatened to shoot anyone who didn’t leave their houses within a day.

According to reports, members of the Nigerian Army have invaded Tunga Maje in Gwagwalada, Federal Capital Territory, with the intention of stealing land from the local indigenous population.

The army reportedly raided the neighborhood on Sunday night and threatened to shoot anyone who didn’t leave their houses within a day.

Fearing their homes will be destroyed by the military, homeowners were shown hastily packing their possessions in multiple recordings that were retrieved.

“The Army is claiming their land,” according to a person with knowledge of the matter. Since they intend to fence their property, they asked them to relocate by this morning when they arrived yesterday.

According to one of the impacted locals who appeared in the films, the situation has the entire town in a state of terror.

He stated: “You can observe people taking their belongings, clothing, and food items away.” We were all unable to sleep last night. When the Nigerian military arrived, they threatened us, gave us a quit notice, and threatened to destroy all of our homes.

“It began the previous week. It seemed like a joke to us. However, they started threatening to shoot us if we didn’t pack our properties when they arrived this morning. The community as a whole is now in danger. These homes have been around for a long time—many years before the FCT was even established.

“We have to leave our homes now. What are we going to do? The area council, our senator, members of the House of Representatives, and even the president’s office have all been notified of this situation. How come the Nigerian military doesn’t follow the law? Now we’re homeless. There is nowhere to stay. Our women are stranded. “Where are we going today?”

A long-running and divisive problem, the land dispute between the Nigerian Army and the Tunga Maje community in the Federal Capital Territory has been characterized by community rallies, court disputes, and claims of land ownership. ”

Reasons for the Conflict

At least since 2009, when the Nigerian Army claimed possession of land in Tunga Maje, the conflict has existed. They claim the area was given to them for military use.

The native inhabitants, on the other hand, who have lived in the region for many years, argue that the land is their ancestral home and that they have rightful claims to it. According to them, the Army’s allegations are unsupported by the law, and the military did not get any official allocation. ”

Tensions between the population and the military have increased over time, resulting in multiple clashes.

When the Nigerian Army allegedly sent out eviction letters, locals protested at the National Assembly building in 2016.

They pointed out that a court order was in place prohibiting the Army from doing anything more on the property until the case was resolved. In spite of this, the Army apparently carried on with their operations, which led to more discontent. ”

When a confrontation between soldiers and people of Tunga Maje in 2019 claimed the life of community member Hamza Haruna Usman and injured others, the situation deteriorated.

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The altercation, which resulted in road blockades and increased tensions, happened during a demonstration against the Army’s purported annexation of their territory. ”

The native inhabitants of Tunga Maje have continuously opposed what they see as unlawful Army intrusion.

They protested against military activity in December 2022, claiming that the military was damaging farmlands, tearing down homes, and threatening locals.

The Army had no official allocation for the land, according to Dalhatu Musa Ezekiel, the then-FCT Commissioner for the Public Complaints Commission, who intervened on behalf of the PCC. He also emphasized that then-President Muhammadu Buhari had previously ordered the military to leave the area. ”

The present circumstances

There has been no resolution to the conflict despite numerous interventions and court cases. The Tunga Maje people fiercely protect their ancestral rights, although the Nigerian Army still claims the area.