ABUJA – The Coalition of FCT Indigenous Associations has warned the Federal Government not to push them into violence over the alleged forceful takeover of their land by the Nigerian Army.
The group said it would no longer sit and watch the military who were statutorily mandated to protect them to force them out of their fathers’ land.
The leader of the group, Dalhatu Ezekiel, disclosed this on Monday in Abuja while addressing journalists on the suit file by the group challenging the forceful take over of their lands in the Iddo-Tungan Maje axis by the Nigerian Army at the FCT high court.
He said: “Even though we have repeatedly said we will not take arms but it seems Nigeria government is doing what they know best by pushing citizens to carry arms. By pushing citizens to go to war and by pushing them to create anarchy and crisis.
“It is unfortunate that we are leaving in a lawless society called Nigeria. It is unfortunate that we have people who feel more important and more human than others.
“It is unfortunate that we have a President who is setting a bad precedent when it comes to obedient of rule of law. It is unfortunate that we have Nigeria military who are supposed to protect us but forcefully terrorising us in our communities.
“We have seen the Nigerian government is teaching us unconsciously how to go violent with our issues.”
Ezekiel lamented the demolition of their houses, killing of their people and other atrocities committed by the military with view to taking the lands away from them.
He wondered why the military have refused to vacate their land after several directives by the government authorities.
He expressed confidence in the court as last hope of common man saying that until justice is served in the matter they would never give up the fight.
Ezekiel said further: “They have asked the Nigerian military to stay off our land but they refused. The Minister of FCT has continuously said that he has not allocated this land to the Nigerian military.
“We have approached the President through the office of Vice President and he has sat with all of us and the Nigeria military could not produce any documents that they own this land.
