Break: Nigerian army destroys houses in the tungamaja community Abuja in Midnight Raid, making families homeless

Saharan Porters understand that the soldiers Tungamaje stormed on the night of the night – around 02:00 on April 1 – demolition houses without prior notice. Nigerian army staff again invaded Tungamaje, a community in Abuja, near Zuba and on his way to Gwagwalada, in a midnight attack. Saharan Porters understand that the soldiers Tungamaje stormed on the night of the night – around 02:00 on April 1 – demolition houses without prior notice. “They came to the midnight around 2am and demolished homes. People have now been moved, with parents forced to send their children to different places because they can no longer afford to survive,” said a resident who was shared in despair. The pain is unbearable. ‘Some people in the communities affected by the demolition died; They lost hope and gave up, ‘trusted another source to Saharan Porters. Twenty-four communities in Tungamaje were affected, each struggling with the same nightmare. “The Nigerian army is still threatening us. When they come, they command people to leave without giving them a choice. They are fully armed, and you know that people who are already afraid are even more afraid when they see soldiers with weapons. ‘ Many families have been expelled from their homes, who are now seeking refuge in temporary tents, to rent runoff shelters and spread their children across different places, all in a desperate bid for survival. “Where are we going from here? My kids have nowhere to sleep, and my wife cries every night. We wrote letters to different places – from the office of the Vice President to the Office of the FCT preacher – we asked for intervention, but no one came. ‘ Residents accuse the Nigerian government of being afraid to confront the military. ‘The Nigerian government seems afraid of the military because the Minister of FCT told us that the land assigned to the Nigerian army was not at any point. Even when a Senate committee held a public hearing, it was the same. ‘ One would have expected the military to stop based on the government’s order, but they kept coming and threatening the people in their homes. “As if the loss of their homes was not enough, residents say the army also seized their agricultural land. Tungamaje is a predominantly farming community, and the loss of these countries has exacerbated their suffering. “They took over our farms. Sometimes you go to your farm and realize that the Nigerian army rented it to someone else. This is when you find a stranger working on your country – your own place, the one you have cultivated – and they are now harvesting what is right. ” With nowhere else to turn, the people of Tungamaje call for help. They call on the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike and security agencies to intervene before the situation escalates further. Even before this recent demolition, the warning signs were there. In the third week of March, the Nigerian army allegedly destroyed several structures. “They came last Monday, destroyed a few structures, and they promised to return tomorrow. Just 30 minutes ago they showed up again and issued oral warnings. We have been living here for more than 20 years, even before the merger of Nigeria in 1914. This country remains our ancestral home, and we will not leave.” Saharan Porters reported earlier that the demolition notices were given by “oral notices” only – oral warnings of the Nigerian army, without any formal documentation. The conflict over the land of Tungamaje dates back to at least 2009 when the Nigerian army claimed ownership, claiming it was assigned to them for military use. But the indigenous inhabitants, who have lived here for generations, insist that the land belong to them and that the army’s demands have no legal support. Over the years, the tension has cooked. In 2016, residents staged a protest march at the National Assembly and withdrew notices from the military. They pointed to an existing court order that prevents the army to take further steps pending lawsuits. Despite this, the demolition continued. The situation increased further in 2019 as a stance between soldiers and Tungamaje residents became deadly. During a protest march against the alleged land grab of the military, a community member, Hamza Haruna Usman, was killed and several others injured. The roads were blocked, emotions ran high, and fear settled over the city like a heavy cloud. The people of Tungamaje have never stopped resisting what they describe as the illegal overrun of the army. In December 2022, they took the streets again and protested against military action that destroyed their farms, homes and livelihoods. The Public Complaints Commission (PCC) intervened at the time, with the then FCT commissioner Dalhatu Musa Ezekiel stating that the army had no formal land allocation and that even the then President Muhammadu Buhari instructed them to vacate the area. Despite these decisions, the demolition continues. Now the residents of Tungamaje stand at a crossroads, their voices are hoarse of plea, their hearts heavy in loss. But they refuse to give up. Their country is more than just a place – it is their history, their identity, their home. And they will fight to keep it.