By Muhammad Mamman
Christopher Maikalangu, Chairman of the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), has fiercely condemned the recent demolition of properties in Karsana, a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) community, by developers Oceanic Properties and Equilibrium Concept.
Following a Saturday inspection in Abuja to assess the devastation and its toll on residents’ livelihoods, Maikalangu labelled the developers’ actions a “gross injustice” and pledged to pursue legal redress on behalf of the affected community.
The AMAC chairman stressed that the displaced residents, primarily indigenous Gbagyi people, are rightful inhabitants of the FCT and deserve full compensation for their losses. “The community, backed by AMAC, will take legal action.
We are submitting formal reports to senior government officials,” he declared, vowing to halt all construction on the disputed site until residents are fairly compensated and resettled.
In an impassioned plea, Maikalangu urged President Bola Tinubu and FCT Minister Nyesom Wike to intervene swiftly to address the crisis. He also called on the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation to prioritise the immediate resettlement of families left homeless by the demolitions.
“These people have nowhere to sleep tonight—no warning, no compensation,” he said. “If relocation is necessary, compensate them and provide alternatives. The Gbagyi people and the name Karsana matter deeply.”
The demolitions, which razed critical structures including the chief’s palace and a local church, have left residents reeling. Dikko Jezhi, the community’s youth secretary, described the profound trauma inflicted on families, many of whom were at work when their homes were bulldozed under police escort.
“Residents had no prior notice and lost everything,” Jezhi said. “The indigenous people are being pushed to the brink, yet we remain restrained because this is our ancestral land.”
Maikalangu underscored the urgency of federal intervention, warning, “This cannot continue in Nigeria. The government must act decisively to deliver justice for Karsana’s people.”
