Robbers strike near Zuba Police Station
Abuja indigenes ready for confab
Armed robbers numbering more than 10 Saturday attacked passers-by opposite Zuba Police Station and robbed people of their belongings.
Witness told City News that the robbers first stormed DeiDei before coming to Zuba and robbed everyone they saw on sight.
A victim, who is a carpenter, told our reporter that when he saw the robbers, he thought they were from Zuba Police Division because they were carrying guns and it happened opposite the station.
He said the robbers exuded confidence and when they stopped him one of them hit his head with an Ak 47 gun, adding that he fell down and surrendered all the money his customers gave him for furniture materials.
Another victim, Mohammed Hassan, said Zuba is becoming a den for armed robbers, saying they now operate in the day time unlike in the past, when they only operated in the night.
He alleged that during the incident, none of the policemen was seen not until after the robbery, when they started shooting into the air.
Mohammed hinted that one of the officers in Zuba Police Division said that they shot one of the armed robbers while in actual facts, policemen were nowhere to be seen during the incident. Indigenes of Abuja under the umbrella of Original Inhabitants Development Association of Abuja (OIDA) have stated their readiness to bring germane issues affecting them to the fore during the forthcoming national conference.
The umbrella body for indigenous people of the FCT also said it is ready to work with Senator Bala Mohammedled Federal Capital Territory Authority (FCTA) and other stakeholders towards achieving a strong participation in the national conference.
In a statement by its president, Pastor DanladiJeji, OIDA applauded the federal government’s convocation of the national conference, adding that the group is well prepared to be part of it.
A taxi driver, IsmailaDogo, said at Deidei, armed robbers blocked the road and prevented them from moving.
When contacted, the Zuba Divisional Police Officer, Chief Superintendent Adelegan Femi, neither confirmed nor denied the incidents but said some suspects have been arrested in connection with attacks at Zuba.
He urged residents to report robbery incident to the police as soon as possible.
The statement reads in part, “The national conference will give the Abuja indigenous people the opportunity to bring the issues of their statelessness, marginalization and forceful usurpation of their lands without compensation by the Nigerian state to the limelight.
“OIDA remains unrelenting in its avowed and dogged mission in ensuring that the original inhabitants of Abuja’s voices are not only sounded loud and clear, but that they be heard and fully given their due and right of place in the Nigerian state.”
The association, while calling on the FCT minister to fast-track the nomination of delegates representing the FCT in the confab, said the conference provides an avenue for Nigerians to air their grievances - real or imagined - about the continuous corporate existence of the nation.
Jeji said the association’s Board of Trustees chaired by AlhajiAbubakarWodi, met on February 5, at a consultative meeting to articulate amongst other things, ideas for selection of FCT’s nominees and agenda to the said conference.
He said the association resolved that, “OIDA with its broadbased and grassroots’ reach and membership cutting across the nine original indigenous tribes and the entire territory of Abuja, is a major stakeholder in the FCT. OIDA avails itself to the FCT Administration to partake in FCT’s nominees selection process, FCT’s agenda formulation and FCT’s full participation at the conference.”
The association said it sent its resolution to the FCT Minister on February 7.