The chairman of the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Christopher Maikalangu, has vowed to sue Oceanic Properties and Equilibrium Concept, a mass housing developer, over the alleged illegal demolition of the Karsana 2 community without due process or compensation.
Maikalangu made the declaration on Saturday after inspecting the extensive damage caused by the demolition, warning that the developer must compensate displaced residents.
“As you can see, this is Karsana II in AMAC, FCT. This is an indigenous community that has been here for years, even before the creation of the FCT itself.
“Before developers located this place, human beings existed here. These people do not come from Cameroon or Egypt. They are from Nigeria. They are indigenous here. They are citizens of Nigeria,” he said.
The AMAC chairman accused the developer of acting without notice or court order, stating that the demolition occurred while residents were away.
“Overnight, without any notice from any court, no compensation, they came down here yesterday and pulled down our houses. Where are they going to sleep today? Where does this man or developer want them to sleep today?
“Even where people are living, while people were away for their businesses, he came here yesterday, with nobody at home, and he pulled down our houses,” Maikalangu said.
He warned that the indigenous people of the FCT would not tolerate the injustice, vowing to take legal action. “We, the indigenous people of FCT, will not take it. We are heading to court, and he must pay for it,” he said.
Maikalangu called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the FCT minister, Nyesom Wike, to intervene, stressing that the demolition had rendered hundreds homeless.
“Look at my people. They have nowhere to sleep, and they are Nigerians. The developer is creating insecurity with the displacement of people. We will not let this slide. The law must take its course.
“Mr President said that before we came to FCT, people were living peacefully, and we should compensate them. Now, this man just pulled down our houses because he thinks we are nobody,” he said.
He further urged the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation to provide immediate resettlement for affected families.
“These are human beings. These are Nigerians. They have to come and do something immediately,” he said.
The youth secretary of the Karsana community, Dikko Jezhi, recounted how the demolition occurred without warning.
“Yesterday, without notice, without any information, we were called while at work that our houses had been brought down,” Jezhi said.
He described the emotional toll on residents, many of whom have lived in the community for generations.
“I asked my mother yesterday, ‘Do you have any other state?’ She said no. Even her grandfather was born here. We do not know where to go.
“They have been pushing the indigenous people to the wall. We want to react, but we do not want to join bad groups. They should provide alternatives to solve this issue.”
The demolition reportedly destroyed numerous homes, churches, and even the chief’s palace.
As tensions rise, the AMAC chairman has pledged to escalate the matter to the FCT minister and pursue legal action to ensure justice for the displaced residents.
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