Crisis in Abuja: Military Land Dispute Forces Families from Homes

Families in an Abuja community are fleeing their homes. Nigerian soldiers have threatened to demolish houses in a fight over land. Videos show people quickly packing their things.

“The Army says this is their land. We couldn’t sleep last night because of their threats,” a resident said. “Where will we go now?”

The Army claims it owns the land. But local people say this area belongs to them. They say their families have lived here for many generations. They also say the Army never got the land through proper legal means.

This is not the first time they’ve fought over this land. In 2016, locals protested at the National Assembly. They got a court order to stop the Army from taking action while the case was in court. But the Army kept pushing anyway.

The community has asked for help from local officials, their senator, and even the president’s office. So far, nothing has solved the problem. Families must leave with nowhere else to go.

This case shows the struggle between military power and local land rights in Nigeria’s capital. It raises concerns about how the government treats regular citizens when powerful groups want their land.