Protest As Navy Takes Over Land In Abuja

Scores of residents of the Iddo Community in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital on Wednesday protest against the Nigerian Navy’s alleged takeover of their land.

The residents who blocked the Airport road were armed with placards with various inscriptions including “Leave our land alone,” “FCT Minister come to our rescue,” “Save farmers, fight hunger,” “We love Nigeria but we need justice,” “We love defence but need justice,” asked the Nigerian Navy to vacate their land.

The residents had in March, took to the streets to protest against the eviction notice to the entire community and threats to demolish their properties by the Nigerian Navy.

On February 16, 2024, the Nigerian Navy put a signpost at the Iddo community of Federal Capital Territory, Abuja to claim the ownership of the landed property in the area.

A source in the community had revealed this to SaharaReporters, adding that the Navy has also put everything in place to demolish houses and buildings in the community.

Iddo community is a residential area which houses hundreds of students of the University of Abuja.

“This Land Belongs To The Nigerian Navy. Pack And Leave. All Properties Here Will Be Demolished Soon. Notice Served On 12/02/2024,” the inscription on the signpost read as seen in a picture obtained by SaharaReporters.

SaharaReporters had also reported how the Nigerian Army and the police evicted the residents of this community, majorly UNIABUJA students from their houses for demolition without prior notice in 2021.

However, the residents and indigenes of the community took to the streets with placards calling on President Bola Tinubu and the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike for their intervention.

The residents who decried the plans to evict them from their ancestor homes wondered where the Nigerian Navy wanted them to relocate to.

The community described as illegal and inhumane the threats of demotion of their community with all their properties by the Nigerian Navy.

They noted that Iddo existed before Nigeria and the coming of FCT.