Residents of the Federal Housing estate in Bauchi have protested an alleged plan to evict them from their homes by the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, along with the Nigerian Air Force.
The peaceful protest took place on Tuesday at the estate built in 2016 for low-income earners, where many of the residents live in two-bedroom bungalows.
They appealed to President Bola Tinubu to stop the move and protect them from being forced out, considering their long stay, financial contributions, and efforts in maintaining the estate.
Secretary of the residents’ association, Mohammed Kabir, said they were given temporary access to the houses by the Ministry after meeting all the conditions and were also promised that the houses would later become theirs permanently.
Kabir said they were shocked to receive eviction notices, claiming the estate had been sold to the Nigerian Air Force.
Another resident, Mohammed Alfa, a federal worker, said money has been deducted from his salary for 20 years under the housing scheme, making him eligible to own one of the houses.
“We just woke up to find out the estate has been sold, and we’re being told to leave. We’ve taken care of these houses for years. We need President Tinubu to step in,” Alfa said.
Another resident, Mrs Hanatu Sani, also begged the President and Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed, to intervene, saying many of them used their own money to maintain the houses after they were abandoned.
Commenting on the development, a human rights lawyer, Barrister Mohammed Alkassim, described the eviction plan as unfair and may go against the constitution.
He said the housing project was meant for regular Nigerians, not the military.
“Why is only the Bauchi estate affected if the Air Force truly needs houses nationwide. Why not use their housing schemes under the Ministry of Defence?” he asked.
Alkassim urged the Ministry to stop the eviction, especially since some residents were told to leave within 24 hours.
Reacting to the claims, Architect Nwamadu Herbertson, who represents the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development in Bauchi, denied that the estate had been sold to the Nigerian Air Force.
He said the residents are not official owners, though they filled out interest forms, and no proper allocations were made.
Herbertson said the Ministry stopped taking new interest forms in April 2025, and no final decisions have been made yet.
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