The indigenous land owners of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja on Tuesday shut down the National Assembly Complex, NASS, located in the Three Arms Zone, of the city.
The Natives most of who appeared naked and robbed their bodies with mud were protesting the alleged forcefully taken over their lands as well as alleged mass killings of the Natives by the Nigerian Army and the continued silence of the law makers and the Federal government.
Armed with various placards such, “Today na Today Nigerian Army,” “Enough is Enough,” “Stop the of our People ” and many more, the Natives stormed the complex in style and vowed never to vacate the place until their demands were met.
Consequently , all the gates to the Complex were hurriedly shut to both vehicular and human traffics and law makers, staff members , Journalists and others were shut out for several hours.
Also, plenary sessions at the both chambers were put on hold till later when normalcy was partially restored.
The natives under the Coalition of Federal Capital Territory Indigenous groups told news men it had already written to the presidency over the alleged recent killings of the territory’s indigenes by the Army and will soon lead a protest to the villa for a redress and as well threatened to shut down the entire city if the Coalition’s grievances were not addressed immediately.
The Coalition claimed that no less than Seven of their kinsmen , women and children have been killed, their crops destroyed and lands forcefully taken over by the Army without regard to due process.
The affected communities forcefully taken over by the Nigerian Army, according to the group, include Giri, Kpakuru, Ido Garki, Zuba and Tugan Maje.
The spokesman of the group, Dalhatu Ezekiel told news men that they were at a loss over why the FCT natives would continue to suffer just for relinquishing their ancestral lands to government to build the capital territory.
According to him, “we are helpless, we want Justice” that is why we are here, we don’t know what to do again, we are not violent, we are begging our law makers to come to our aid.”
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Ezekiel explained that they have also written to the Villa and would visit there, notwithstanding today’ protest which they have carried to the door step of the National Assembly.
“The Army were illegal occupants and were laying false claims to the lands they don’t have or own titles.”
“Each time we demand their allocation letters, their responses usually are the allocations letters have been burnt.”
He noted that the natives will keep on demanding justice through every legal and constitutional means.
Meanwhile the Senate is to set up a committee to investigate the allegations raised by the natives.
Chairman Senate committee on FCT, Senator Dino Melaye, who addressed the protesters in company of other senators, said a committee would be set up by the Senate leadership to interface with group’s leaders.
Senator Dino assured that the meeting would take place at 2pm on the same day (yesterday) of the protest, to resolve all the issues and pass to the leadership to make a resolution on the matter.
and then