Demolition scare hits Abuja suburb

They are calling on the federal government to integrate them into the FCT.Chief of Durumi, His Highness Danjuma Tanko Anyidubo who spoke with our reporter in his palace said his people are worried that the Development Control has threatened to demolish the community.“We’re indigenes of FCT and we’re worried that Development Control will just wake […]

They are calling on the federal government to integrate them into the FCT.
Chief of Durumi, His Highness Danjuma Tanko Anyidubo who spoke with our reporter in his palace said his people are worried that the Development Control has threatened to demolish the community.
“We’re indigenes of FCT and we’re worried that Development Control will just wake up and come here to announce that they will be coming for demolition.
“We don’t have the capacity to stop development in the FCT but the government too should not dispossess us of our inheritance,” the chief said.
He said the land question involving the Gbagyi in the FCT has been lingering. He appealed to authorities to tackle it once and for all.
“We want permanent relocation or integration because my ancestors lived here 200 years ago so it makes no sense for me to leave the land now for another person. Does it mean that I’m not a Nigerian?” he asked.
Chief Anyidubo alleged that last week, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Development Control called him to inform him that the following week, bulldozers would move into the community to pull down structures.
He said the community is planning to take government to court if it will not drop its planned demolition exercise.
An elder in the community, Ayuba Galadima (62) said Abuja is not the first capital city in Nigeria and wondered why Yoruba were not driven out of Lagos yet the Gbagyi are being dispossessed of their ancestral land.
“Is it because we’re Gbagyis and we’re peace loving? Is it that we’re considered docile and uneducated?
“But the message should be clear that we’re not leaving here, we need integration. We want government to look at us as citizens of Nigeria not foreigners,” he added.
A concerned native, Barrister Ephraim Ushafa who also spoke with Daily Trust said, “Land is life and if you take land away from people you have taken away their lives.”
He lamented that the Gbagyi have been dispossessed of their farmlands and rendered helpless since farming is their main source of livelihood.
Efforts to get a reaction from the Development Control failed as the PRO, Mr Kalu Emetu did not reply to a text message sent to his phone number.