Demolition: Maikalangu faults FCTA as humanitarian crisis unfolds in Abuja community
The Chairman, Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Christopher Maikalangu, has criticised the Federal Capital Territory Administration over the demolition of homes in the Kuchibedna area of Kafe District, saying the action has sparked a humanitarian crisis that demands urgent attention.
He said the demolition has pushed many families into sudden homelessness and called for swift intervention from the FCT authorities and the Federal Government to stabilise the situation.
Maikalangu in a statement issued on Wednesday, said the council recognises court rulings on land disputes but stressed that enforcement must follow due process, include proper resettlement plans and protect the rights of indigenous communities.
He warned that demolitions carried out without these safeguards place vulnerable families at severe risk.
While describing the events in Kuchibedna as a tragedy that should not happen in a city that claims to uphold justice and human dignity, he argued that no legal claim by any developer justifies leaving long-standing indigenous residents without shelter, support or compensation.
Maikalangu said the scale of human suffering caused by the demolition is unacceptable and urged the authorities to act immediately to address the urgent needs of the displaced families and prevent the crisis from worsening.
“The tragedy that unfolded in Kuchibedna yesterday is unacceptable. Regardless of any legal victory a developer may claim, we cannot stand idly by while our citizens, including generations of indigenous people, are thrown onto the streets without shelter, compensation, or dignity.
“The human cost of these demolitions is too high, and the resultant humanitarian crisis demands immediate action.” Maikalangu said
The Chairman, therefore, appealed to the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and the Federal Government to urgently intervene and remediate the situation.
“We appeal directly to the Honourable Minister of the FCT, Barrister Nyesom Wike, CON, for swift, personal intervention to halt this humanitarian crisis and ensure justice and dignity for the displaced indigenous Gbagyi families.
”We call upon the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation to immediately dispatch relief materials and temporary shelter to the affected families.
”The FCTA must ensure that every affected family is adequately compensated and provided with a clear, viable alternative for resettlement before any further development proceeds on the disputed land.
“The developer and all relevant agencies are hereby put on notice: No further construction or development should commence on the site until the displaced residents are fully compensated and successfully resettled in line with best practices for land administration, ” he said
Maikalangu insisted that FCTA must initiate a holistic review of all land allocations in indigenous communities to prevent future conflicts that continuously place the rights of original inhabitants in jeopardy.
“The protection of our citizens, particularly the indigenous Gbagyi people whose ancestral heritage is tied to this land, remains the top priority of the Abuja Municipal Area Council.
“We will pursue all legal and administrative avenues necessary to ensure justice, compensation, and a return to normal life for the people of Kuchibedna,” the Chairman.
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