Presidential Fleet: Over 200 Families Displaced As NAF Demolishes Houses

The landowners of Nuwalege, a rural community along the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Road in Abuja, have made an urgent appeal to the Federal Government for compensation after being forcibly ejected from their homes.

The eviction and subsequent demolition of their properties were carried out to accommodate an extension of the Presidential Air Fleet (PAF).

According to Punch, more than 200 families have reportedly been left homeless following the demolition, which was executed by the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) at the behest of the Nigerian Air Force.

The affected residents, including Abuja natives and other Nigerians who had settled in Nuwalege, are now seeking refuge in nearby communities such as Zamani, Sauka, Giri, Iddo, and Gwagwalada.

Despite the significant disruption to their lives, the displaced families claim they have not received any form of compensation from the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), the Nigerian Air Force, or the Ministry of Aviation.

The lack of compensation has added to the distress of those affected, many of whom had lived in Nuwalege for years.

The project details, including its funding, have not been made publicly available.

However, there are indications that construction may begin soon, as Air Force personnel have already been mobilized to the site.

This development follows a citizens’ engagement last December, where Muktar Galadima, the Director of the FCT Department of Development Control, informed the community of the planned relocation.

He mentioned that the Nigerian Air Force had officially communicated with the FCT minister regarding the relocation, but the status of any compensation for the affected residents remained uncertain.

Galadima said, “We will discuss with the Air Force because obviously, discussions behind the scenes indicate that some forms of compensation were paid. We are going to conduct further investigation by engaging the FCT Department of Resettlement and Compensation as well as the Nigerian Air Force and find out if compensation has been paid, to whom, and when.”

Addressing journalists after the demolition in January, the director claimed the residents were given a two-month notice before the exercise, adding that his office had informed the Air Force of the administration’s policy on relocating indigenous communities.

“We informed the residents residing on the Nigeria Air Force land about the impending action and granted them a two-month window to pack their belongings.

“When the Air Force approached us, we told them about the FCTA policy on relocation and resettlement of indigenous communities. However, other non-indigenes are to be moved out of the location so that the Air Force can take over their land.

“The structures belonging to indigenes were left out because statutorily they have to be relocated and compensated, that’s why we are not touching their properties,” he stated.

However, residents of the community revealed that they were not notified of the demolition beforehand or paid any form of compensation, adding that no house was spared in the community during the demolition exercise.

An artisan, Wisdom James, disclosed that the residents were earlier informed the demolition would take place in another two years.

However, the authorities came not long after to clear the community, he claimed.

“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.

“At a time, they told us they had shifted the demolition until the next two years. But in two days, they were there with bulldozers and started work. They didn’t pay us anything,” she said.

Speaking on the legal action by the residents, James said they each contributed between ₦2,500 and ₦10,000 to seek justice, adding that nothing had come of it.

She added, “We made some contributions to take the issue to court. I paid ₦2,500. We were meeting in Sauka. After meeting about six times, there was nothing like that again. The money we gathered, we don’t know where they took it to, and we weren’t paid back.”

An indigene of the community, Obadiah Tanko, said the natives had lived there long before the Air Force base was built next to it, pointing out that some of their ancestors were buried in the site that now belonged to the NAF.

“I’ve been living in Nuwalege for 15 years, though I am an indigene. When they (FCDA) first came, they used beacons to mark some places. That was years ago. So, we took the issue to court, because before the (Air Force) base was built, we used to farm there. But they shifted us towards the river. Some of our grandfathers were buried where the base is now.

“They did an initial demolition in 2007. When they came, they told us only part of the place would be demolished. Before we knew it, we were told it would be the whole thing, although they didn’t demolish mine because I’m an indigene. Some people who are Bassa and Gbagyi are still there. None of the victims were told they would be paid anything, and none of them has received any payment,” he added.