The Dubaidna community in Durumi 3, Abuja, has asked the Federal Capital Territory Authority (FCTA) to halt the demolition plan as well as any types of harassment and intimidation in the area.
In a statement signed by Amnesty International (AI) and community members, the people reminded the government that as a signatory to the International Covenant on Social and Cultural Rights, it had an obligation to respect, protect, and fulfill the right to adequate housing by refraining from and preventing forced evictions.
Michael Kpatiba, a spokesman for the community’s youths, claimed the demolition was justified by the high degree of insecurity and the notion that some villages may be hiding criminals.
He also condemned what he described as the “ceaseless intimidation on the community by real-estate developers who claim that the long-standing indigenous village of Durumi 3” had been allocated to them.
He highlighted that during all of this, there was no resettlement plan or compensation in place.
Last Monday, personnel from the FCTA Development Control, accompanied by armed security agents, attacked the Dubaidna community and demolished many structures, leaving several residents homeless and without a source of income.
