NJII Urges Presidency, N’ Assembly to Address Abuja Indigenous People’s Grievances
Funmi Ogundare
The Network of Journalists on Indigenous Issues (NJII) in partnership with the MacArthur Foundation, Tuesday, called on the Presidency and the National Assembly to urgently address the long-standing grievances of Abuja Original Inhabitants (AOIs), warning that continued neglect could fuel unrest in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The group’s coordinator, Mr. Adewale Adeoye, made the call at a media briefing in Lagos ahead of the 2026 International Day of the World’s Indigenous People, urging the Federal Government to engage the indigenous communities in dialogue and implement measures to address decades of alleged injustice.
According to him, the plight of the Abuja Original Inhabitants has reached a critical stage, describing the situation as a ticking time bomb that requires immediate intervention to prevent another wave of violent agitation in the country.
He noted that while many agitations across Nigeria began peacefully before turning violent, the indigenous people of Abuja had remained committed to peaceful engagement despite years of land dispossession, displacement, intimidation and marginalisation.
“The indigenous people of Abuja have chosen the path of peace, not because they are weak, but because of their culture of peaceful coexistence and their belief that government will eventually listen to their cries,” he stated.
Adeoye lamented that communities located only a few kilometres from the nation’s capital continue to grapple with extreme poverty, poor access to education, healthcare, electricity, potable water and good roads.
He alleged that for nearly 50 years, following the relocation of Nigeria’s capital from Lagos to Abuja in 1976, many indigenous communities had lost their ancestral lands, sacred forests and cultural heritage with little or no compensation.
To address the situation, the group proposed the establishment of a judicial commission of inquiry to investigate historical cases of land seizure and alleged injustices suffered by the indigenous people, with a view to ensuring adequate compensation or the return of ancestral lands where possible.
It also called for the enactment of an Abuja Indigenous Bill to guarantee dedicated funding for the education and healthcare of Abuja original inhabitants, promote employment opportunities for them in public institutions, preserve indigenous languages and protect their cultural heritage sites.
Among its recommendations, the network urged the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCDA) to create an Abuja indigenous people’s endowment fund to finance education and cultural preservation programmes for the eight indigenous ethnic groups in the FCT.
The group further advocated the establishment of an Abuja metropolitan police to be drawn from the indigenous communities, arguing that the earlier proposal excluding Abuja from state policing arrangements should be reversed.
It also called for greater political inclusion of the estimated 2.5 million Abuja original inhabitants, noting that they are unable to vote for state governors and state Houses of Assembly members and are denied several opportunities tied to state of origin.
Adeoye stressed that resolving the concerns of the indigenous people through dialogue and inclusive policies would strengthen peacebuilding efforts in the FCT and ensure that Abuja remains a symbol of national unity rather than a source of future conflict.
He urged the media to continue highlighting the aspirations of the inhabitants and support efforts aimed at achieving a more inclusive and prosperous FCT.