As more reports pour in as to the rioting that trailed the demolition that happened in Aluguyi Village, popularly known as Lungu village in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), more tragic news has followed.
First it was news of a teenager who died during the demolitions, now reports have it that the demolitions also has another casualty, a little boy this time around.
According to an eye witness report, the boy, a primary one pupil had just returned from school, oblivious of the demolitions going on. On entering his house to change his uniform, disaster struck as the bulldozer came crushing the house as the bricks from the building fell on him, crushing him to death in the process.
Attempts made by neighbors to rescue the boy proved abortive as they were stopped by military and police men, who threatened them with whips, according to the source.
On hearing of the news, the mother of the boy took a broken bottle and stabbed herself to death, sparking anger and outrage, fueling the flames of anger and dissatisfaction already burning among victims of the demolition.
Dynamix Magazine reports:
An eyewitness, Mr. Joshua Iyah, told reporters:
“During the demolition, a primary school boy came home from school tired and hungry, not understanding what was going on, he entered their house to change from his school uniform and as he was still inside the house, that was when the bulldozer demolishing their house and blocks fell on the boy.
Attempts to rescue the boy were not successful because the military and policemen were using whips against us. They even prevented his mother from rescuing him. The boy died immediately. When the mother of the boy saw what happened to her child, she took a broken bottle and stabbed herself to death.”
The woman’s death sparked an outrage and the angry natives started a protest, at about 12 noon. They barricaded the expressway with burning tyres and bricks. JethroIliya, another eye witness said that they initially started the protest inside Gwarinpa estate, but when there was no response from the FCT minister, Sen. Bala Mohammed or relevant authorities, they decided to move to Kubwa-Zuba expressway to express their grievances. He said:
“To make matters worse the policemen shot two people, when we were protesting over the two people shot, the military men started shooting again in the air. As I speak to you, two people are dead and two are currently in the hospital.
What wrong have we done as natives of Abuja to have given our land to the federal government? We have given enough! They have collected our farmlands, we were quiet, now they are coming to chase us out of our houses. We have so many graduates everywhere, but no job, yet they will say we are not educated.
Enough is enough, we have been pushed to the wall. This is just the beginning, we cannot take this anymore! Was it a crime for us to have given our land to Nigeria? This is too much, we are not animals. They should do the right thing in Abuja, before it is too late,” he said.
