*Dangerous devt that must be urgently address – MBF leader
Idibia Gabriel, kaduna
An estimated one million original inhabitants of Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have lost their traditional homes, lands, and important historical and cultural landmarks to the Nigerian state without adequate compensation or recognition.
This revelation was made by Chairman, Original Inhabitants Development Association (OIDA), FCT, Pastor Danladi Jeji, while briefing the NWC of Middle Belt Forum’s (MBF), during the second meeting of 2025, according to statement issued by the Forum’s spokesman Mr. Luka Binniyat, and made available to newsmen in kaduna.
During the meeting Wednesday, Pastor Danladi Jeji reportedly revealed that 858 communities, predominantly belonging to the Gbagyi, Koro, Gede, Gwandara, Bassa, and Ganagana ethnic groups, have coexisted with their neighbors long before the 1914 amalgamation of Nigeria.
Pastor Deji, according to NWC meeting, chaired by the Forum’s National President Dr. Bitrus Pogu, lamented that currently, “an estimated one million original inhabitants have lost their traditional homes, lands, and important historical and cultural landmarks to the Nigerian state without adequate compensation or recognition.
He further stated that “The Federal Capital City (FCC) was built after 55 villages were displaced. Yet, to this day, not a single plot of land has been allocated to any original inhabitant of the FCC”.
The statement added that”MBF’s Key Observations After reviewing OIDA’s grievances, noted amongst other things, that “The original inhabitants of the FCT remain committed to a united Nigeria, but demand a nation that is just and fair to all citizens, regardless of their place of birth.
“OIDA seeks an urgent resolution to its concerns, as the younger generation of FCT indigenes is becoming increasingly restless, having been rendered stateless in their own land, with no hope for their future amid poverty and deprivation’, it stated.
The group called on Nigerians and the international community to empathized with their plight and pressure both the Presidency and the National Assembly to review their status in the Nigerian Constitution.
In its demand, the NWC of the MBF urged all stakeholders in the Nigerian project to take the plight of the original inhabitants of the FCT seriously and end the exploitation of FCT lands, adding “It is unjust that while other Nigerians and even foreigners have acquired large swaths of FCT land for private farms, housing estates, and businesses, the original inhabitants live in slums and abandoned villages in abject poverty”.
“All displaced original inhabitants should be properly resettled, and a comprehensive evaluation of their lands should be conducted to ensure fair compensation, while
Statehood be accorded FCT, Just as Lagos was both a state and Nigeria’s former capital. “The FCT should also be consider for statehood among the proposed new states”.
Establishment of a House of Assembly, If granted statehood, saying the FCT should have its own House of Assembly to legislate based on its unique needs.
“The FCT Area Councils are currently excluded from Nigeria’s 774 recognized Local Government Areas, thereby denying them access to monthly federal allocations. This must be corrected.
“Implementation through Executive and Legislative Actions”the forum stated, adding that “These demands can be addressed through executive orders by the President and/or constitutional amendments.
Calling on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the MBF firmly expressed believes that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who fought tirelessly for democratic governance during military rule, is in the best position to address this long-standing injustice.
Earlier, the President, Dr. Bitrus Pogu, reaffirmed its solidarity with the indigenous people of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in their ongoing demand for their constitutional and universal human rights, which have been denied over time.
The MBF commended the non-violent and civilized approach adopted by the OIDA of the FCT, led by Pastor Danladi Jeji, in advocating for their cause.
“It is important to note that the MBF serves as the umbrella socio-cultural body representing the ethnic nationalities of the Middle Belt, spanning 14 northern states of Nigeria, including the FCT.
“The NWC acknowledged that the FCT represents one of the biggest concessions made by the Middle Belt to the Nigerian state, as its original inhabitants ceded 8,000 square kilometers of their ancestral land—without opposition—to serve as the nation’s capital and a symbol of national unity.
“This decision was made under military rule and formalized through Decree 6 of 1976, during the tenure of General Murtala Mohammed. It was later incorporated into the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
“However, the meeting expressed deep concern over the misinterpretation and misapplication of this historic act of patriotism. Instead of being recognized as contributors to national unity, the original inhabitants of the FCT have been systematically marginalized, with government policies and actions making it appear as though they have forfeited their citizenship rights.
“The MBF views this as a dangerous development that must be urgently addressed through constitutional amendments to ensure a stable, peaceful, secure, and progressive FCT—both now and in the future”, it stated.
During the meeting, Pastor Danladi Jeji briefed the NWC, revealing that 858 communities, predominantly belonging to the Gbagyi, Koro, Gede, Gwandara, Bassa, and Ganagana ethnic groups, have coexisted with their neighbors long before the 1914 amalgamation of Nigeria.
