The Nuwalege community in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, has appealed to FCT Minister, Nyeson Wike, to provide resettlement housing for their members affected by the demolition of their homes to make way for the presidential fleet.
Daily Trust reports that the minister had directed the Director, the Department of Development Control, to ensure that Nuwalege community, along Airport Road, Abuja, gives way for the presidential fleet plot.
The minister, who said the request was made by the Nigeria Air Force, said compensation had already been paid to the community.
But the community, while addressing journalists on Wednesday, called on the minister to stop the planned demolition.
The Sarki Nuwalege, Bashir Daudu, said there should be a legal process for the action.
He said the Air force’s claim of payment of compensation was false as since the creation of Nuwalege no compensation had been paid to the community in any form.
“Our community is ready to move into any resettlement by the government because, as it is now, we do not have any place to go. This is the reason we are urgently calling on the FCT minister to intervene.
“We want the government to build our houses for us; we are not asking the government to give us money nor are we disobeying the government but we want the government to know that we are also citizens of this country and if they demolish our houses now, where will we go to? Some of us are indigenes here, we were born and brought up here.
He added that the Air force had visited the community on several occasions “to take over the land but we have been asking them where is the resettlement housing. We have not seen anywhere the indigenes homes were demolished without resettlement.”
He further stated that there is an ongoing court case with the FCT minister and Nigeria Air Force that called for maintaining the status quo.
According to the chief, the Air force has been disturbing the community over the years with the issue of demolition despite the community accommodating its personnel and other agencies like Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS), among others.
He urged the government to do justice to the youths and the elderly women who are inhabitants of the community.
Also speaking, a resident of the community, Samson Yalo, said he was born four years before Nigeria got independence and grew up in the village.
He said if the community is demolished, he would have nowhere to go.
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