....Your action is a breach to fundamental human right, injury to democracy- Chris tells Minister

Integrity Advocacy for Development Initiative IADI, have condemned in entirety the demolition of structures and properties of natives of in Asokoro Extension of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, by the officials of the Task Team under the approval of the FCT Minister, Mohammed Bello.

In a statement signed and made available to newsmen on Wednesday by the Executive Director, Comrade Chris Ofomhi who disclosed that majority of the properties destroyed by the Minister and his foot soldiers located at Kpaduma Guzape along Bala Mohammed Highway were lands belonging to the Gbagi Indigene/Communities. He alleged that the act was carried out under the guise of public interest.

According to the statement, the team leader Mr. Attah Haruna and the Police CSO to the minister revealed that the directive was from President Muhammadu Buhari citing an attempt to destroy the same place over 10 years ago.

It read: “We condemn the demolition and destruction of properties of natives of Asokoro communities by the Federal Minister and his team task force, the process has been ongoing for quite a while now and it looks like a witch hunt from the FCTA Administration on innocent indigenes.

“The simple question is, are the buildings theirs at the time? the Police CSO to the minister said that all these lands were already allocated to people; Who are these people? Is it because of a few influential Nigerians that the FCT Minister decided to render some people homeless? The minister said that the demolition isn’t targeted at Abuja natives but the “squatters”. Are these “squatters” not Nigerians? and why would soldiers who are supposed to be busy fighting Boko Haram, be the ones parading themselves as task force men, destroying and demolishing these properties?

“The FCT land user act states clearly that government cannot takeover any land from an individual and re-allocate to another person without considering first the owner of the property. The alleged task force officials, demanded for some kickback to delay the devilish act but the indigene ignored and told them categorically that, they are not ready to give anybody a dime because they did not contravene any law, these are community lands that the Minister has allegedly allocated to his political allies as parting gift.

“This injustice will not stand, if they are claiming that the place was allocated 10years ago, where are the reports of the committee setup as at that time and who was the chairman, what are the names of the members of the committee and who inaugurated the committee?” it added.

The group further stated that it is in the best interest that the public know that the development control machine is not serviceable but were supplied by the friends and cronies of the minister who got the land as parting complimentary gifts from the latter.

IADI appealing to the FCT Administration to respect the rule of law as their actions constitutes a breach to the fundamental human rights of the indigenes and an injury to democracy; however, called on President Muhammadu Buhari and other agencies to set up an investigative committee to checkmate the action and ensure that the political gimmick orchestrated by the minister fail, while lands snatched and properties destroyed be returned back to the affected indigenes.