Journalists trained on reporting original inhabitants

A cross-section of journalists in Abuja was yesterday trained on how to report original inhabitants, especially the Abuja original indigenous communities. Instructors at the event called for justice, fair compensation, and state recognition for the displaced indigenous communities in Nigeria’s capital. Abuja Metro reports that the training, held on Monday, was organized by the Network […]

A cross-section of journalists in Abuja was yesterday trained on how to report original inhabitants, especially the Abuja original indigenous communities. Instructors at the event called for justice, fair compensation, and state recognition for the displaced indigenous communities in Nigeria’s capital.

Abuja Metro reports that the training, held on Monday, was organized by the Network of Journalists on Indigenous Issues (NEJII) with the support of the Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED) and the MacArthur Foundation.

It brought together journalists from print, broadcast, and online media across northern Nigeria, focusing on strengthening reporters’ understanding of the rights, history, and contemporary struggles of Abuja’s original inhabitants (AOIs), including the Gbayi, Koro, Gade, Ebira, and others whose ancestors lived in the area for centuries before it became the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in 1976.

Speaking at the event, Dr. Zikirullahi Ibrahim, the executive director of CHRICED, lamented the long-standing neglect of the AOIs and the absence of justice nearly five decades after their land was acquired by the federal government.

Mr. Adewale Adeoye, Coordinator of NEJII, also spoke, linking the Abuja case to global struggles of indigenous peoples across the world. He warned that continued neglect of AOIs could lead to renewed tensions and agitation if justice is not pursued peacefully.

“If we had done what we are doing now years back, there would not have been militancy in some parts of the country,” he said. “We do not want Abuja to be engulfed by a new wave of agitation. The younger generation is already asking their parents where their ancestral land has gone.”

Adeoye cited examples of other countries like Canada, New Zealand, the United States, Brazil, and Australia, where indigenous communities have received official recognition and compensation for historical injustices.