Wednesday, April 17, 2019

Residents Of Abuja Shut National Assembly Entrances Over Military Killing


Report says members of the Coalition of Indigenous Communities of Abuja (CICA) yesterday laid siege to the gates of National Assembly causing a major gridlock at the main entrance.
The people also blocked the villa gate and gate to office of Secretary to Government of the Federation.
According to eye withness people were seen with inscriptions saying: 
"It Is Seven Days Now That FCT Native Was Killed; Nigerian Army Stop Killing FCT Natives; and Protect Residents And Their Property, Not The Opposite."
According to the leader of the group, Dalhatu Musa:they would not give up until their demands were met
He also said: 
“We were told that the military was not allocated the land they were laying claim to. So, we had expected that they would revert to status quo and stop harassing us. “Unfortunately, one of our kinsmen was killed last week and several others injured when the military tried to forcefully eject them from the land they were farming on. “When this matter started, we petitioned the FCT minister and we were told they were not allocated the land. “The ministry reported he matter to the presidency and a Presidential committee was set up headed by Abba Kyari to look into the matter and they asked the army to stop whatever they were doing there. “Still they went there with their bulldozer to dig trenches to stop the indigenes from accessing their villages and farms,”.

He added that they would not be deceived by promises that the National Assembly was attending to the matter, saying the Senate last week referred the matter to its Committee on Defence “as a ploy to frustrate the matter.”
Musa insisted that they would not relent until the Senate President, Bukola Saraki or Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, addressed them.