Entrance into Abuja yesterday was shut down and pandemonium took over on
the popular Kubwa-Zuba expressway after a woman and her son tragically
lost their lives during the demolition of Aluguyi Village, popularly
known as Lungu Village in the FCT.
According to angry natives, some Federal Capital Development Authority
(FCDA) officials, in the company of well armed military personnel, had
stormed their community at about 10am and started demolishing houses
along with their belongings, not minding if people were inside or not.
A demolition they said was unannounced and totally inhumane.
An eyewitness, Mr. Joshua Iyah, told reporters:
“During the demolition, a primary school boy came home from school tired
and hungry, not understanding what was going on, he entered their house
to change from his school uniform and as he was still inside the house,
that was when the bulldozer demolishing
their house and blocks fell on the boy.
Attempts to rescue the boy were not successful because the military and
policemen were using whips against us. They even prevented his mother
from rescuing him. The boy died immediately. When the mother of the boy
saw what happened to her child, she took a broken bottle and stabbed
herself to death.”
The woman's death sparked an outrage and the angry natives started a
protest, at about 12 noon. They barricaded the expressway with burning
tyres and bricks. JethroIliya, another eye witness said that they
initially started the protest inside Gwarinpa estate, but when there was
no response from the FCT minister, Sen. Bala Mohammed or relevant
authorities, they decided to move to Kubwa-Zuba expressway to express
their grievances. He said:
“To make matters worse the policemen shot two people, when we were
protesting over the two people shot, the military men started shooting
again in the air. As I speak to you, two people are dead and two are
currently in the hospital.
What wrong have we done as natives of Abuja to have given our land to
the federal government? We have given enough! They have collected our
farmlands, we were quiet, now they are coming to chase us out of our
houses. We have so many graduates everywhere, but no job, yet they will
say we are not educated.
Enough is enough, we have been pushed to the wall. This is just the
beginning, we cannot take this anymore! Was it a crime for us to have
given our land to Nigeria? This is too much, we are not animals. They
should do the right thing in Abuja, before it is too late,” he said.
their house and blocks fell on the boy.
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