The Federal Government of Nigeria is currently facing major backlash following the demolition of over 200 homes in Nuwalege, a rural community along the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Road in Abuja.
The demolition, which took place in January 2024, was carried out by the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) at the behest of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) to make way for an extension of the Presidential Air Fleet.
Residents of Nuwalege were left devastated and homeless, with many recounting their harrowing experiences.
Wisdom James, one of the affected residents, shared, "I live in Zamani now, but I'm from Nuwalege. They demolished our house in January. There was no information prior to the demolition. The place they marked for demolition is not the place they demolished. They didn't tell us when they would be coming."
The displaced families allege that they were misled into believing that the demolition had been postponed for another two years. However, bulldozers arrived unexpectedly, leaving them with no time to prepare or seek legal recourse.
Despite pooling resources to pursue legal action, the efforts have so far yielded no results, with the funds raised disappearing without explanation.
Folashade Olatunde, a mother of five, described the painful separation of her family due to the forced eviction.
"We left the community on January 15, 2024. They didn't pay us any compensation, nothing at all. My family and I are separated, and I had to take some of our property back home. I stay here with my husband and my two youngest children. My oldest son and the one immediately after him sleep in a nearby church while my daughter is in Ekiti with my family," she recounted.
The lack of compensation has left many in dire straits. Elizabeth Olushola, another victim of the demolition, revealed that she had not been compensated for the loss of her home and a block of four classrooms she had built. "They didn't give us any money, nobody even approached us. The government should compensate us because I see this as suffering," she said.
The NAF spokesperson, AVM Edward Gabkwet, directed the displaced families to address their grievances with the Ministry of Defence or the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), stating, "NAF does not compensate for lands allocated to it by the Federal Government."
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