The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai has warned a coalition of FCT indigenous associations against disrupting ongoing construction at a contentious land around Giri, Airport Road, Abuja, stressing that the land in contention was legally acquired.
His statement followed an earlier protest by the aggrieved coalition which had accused the Nigerian Army of grabbing lands belonging to their members. The protesters had barricaded the Airport Road on Tuesday but dispersed thereafter following the intervention of the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo.
Speaking at the foundation laying ceremony for the construction of the “Army Command Estate and Headquarters, Directorate of Army Legal Services’’ at Muhammadu Buhari Cantonment at Giri on the airport road, Buratai said aggrieved parties should approach relevant authorities.
“This particular estate (land) was granted to the Nigerian army in 1979. However, we got the official allocation with the Right of Occupancy (C of O) in 1997 by the Federal Capital Administration. In 2011, when all land in the territory were revoked and owners of land were directed to re-certify their land, the Nigerian army along with other services, Navy and Air Force, we do apply for the re-certification.
“We paid the dues that was meant for the re-certification and got our acknowledgment. That is to say that we have legally and timely certify this particular land,’’
Buratai said. He said that all the documents of the land were with the Abuja Geographical Information Service – AGIS, of the FCT.
“So, any move to disrupt our activities here (ongoing construction work on the land) is going to be fruitless. We have all the legal backing. The protesters, should not allow themselves to be deceived and take the laws into their hands,’’ he said.
Vanguard reports that a coalition of FCT indigenous associations had recently accused the army of grabbing their land and protested to the National Assembly over the issue. They had also protested to the office of the Minister of FCT, calling for his intervention. They alleged that the army wanted to collect their land located at Zuba, Iddo, Sabo and Tuga Maje, all on Airport Road.