The leadership of the Senate of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), North Central Zone, has called on the minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Muhammad Musa Bello, to prevail on the chairman, Gwagwalada Area Council, Abubakar Giri, to stop any act of land grabbing within the precincts of the University of Abuja (UNIABUJA) Mini Campus.
This was contained in a statement, signed by Comrade Anzaku Shedrack Ovye, Coordinator NANS Zone C, North Central Region.
NANS expressed concern over disturbing developments at the University of Abuja, which has become a source of shock and anger among the teeming members and condemned the council for grabbing the land belonging to the university.
The statement reads in part, “On the 13th day of January 2023, the leadership of the Senate arm and the Zone (North Central) of NANS received a letter of complaint from the Student Union Government University of Abuja on the illegal acquisition of land legally and originally belonging to the University of Abuja and which has since 1991 being used by the students for sporting and recreational activities and other academic purposes.
“The land-grabber is Abubakar Giri, the Chairman Gwagwalada Area Council, who it has alleged has sold and shared the land to his political paymasters and associates. Most shocking of all is that Abu Giri had the effrontery to send armed thugs to the said land to threaten students, while illegal structures were built on it!
“We have chosen to use this medium to appeal to our own father, the Honourable Minister of FCT, as well as inform the entire public of this criminal act. it’s an action that will not be tolerated by the leadership of NANS, for an injury to one is an injury to all.”
The students said the land in question belongs to UniAbuja since inception in 1988 and has been used since 1991 as a sports field at the Mini Campus and is positioned at the center/heart of the school.
“We condemn the illegal and land-grabbing action of the Gwagwalada Area Council Chairman and his cohorts and paymasters.”
“The action of the Gwagwalada Area Council chairman is a total declaration of war against Nigerian students and he should apologise for his actions forthwith.
“We also call on our own leader, the minister of FCT and all authorities concerned, including the Executive Secretary FCTA, to call the Area Council chairman to order as a matter of urgency.
“Also, the leadership of NANS is in total support of the decision of UNIABUJA SUG to reoccupy the land (which they did yesterday) and the 7-day ultimatum they issued to the Gwagwalada Area Council to remove the structures they started erecting on the land,” the statement added.
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