*They are illegal occupants – FHA
From Muhammad Ahmad Saka, in Bauchi
There has been uneasy calm following protest by occupants of the housing units constructed by the Federal Government along the Ningi-Kano road under the 2016 National Housing Scheme in Bauchi State .
Occupants of the houses have appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to prevent the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development (FMHUD) from forcefully ejecting them in order to sell the houses to the Nigerian Air force.
Speaking to journalists during a peaceful protest today (Tuesday) in Bauchi, the occupants of the two block bedroom semi-detached bungalow, alleged that the plan to eject them without following due process violate their right.
They described the move as “unfortunate and illegitimate,” claiming the houses were part of a 1,000-unit project initiated by the former President Muhammadu Buhari to tackle citizens accommodation challenges.
They appealed to President Bola Tinubu to intervene and cancel the purported deal, and appeal to the government to prioritise the rights and welfare of residents over institutional negotiations.
One of the protesters, Mohammed Kabir who is the secretary of the current occupants of the facility, said that the peaceful protest was meant to call on the attention of President Bola Tinubu to intervene in the current plan by the Ministry to eject them.
Kabir claimed that the houses were allocated to them by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development after fulfilling all the necessary requirements before the keys were issued to them, adding that it was how all the occupants found themselves in the facility.
He explained that they were assured by the MOH at the time of the temporary allocation that the houses will eventually be allocated to them only to be given eviction recently and warning that the facility has been sold to the Nigeria Airforce.
Another Protester, Mohammed Alfa, a staff of the federal government who alleged that a percentage is being deducted from his salary for 20 years, said that he was entitled to be allocated the facility and not to be ejected.
“We just woke up one day and realised that this facility has been sold to the Nigeria Airforce and we are being asked to leave the place.We are appealing to the President to help because we are all responsible citizens occupying the place,” he said.
Mrs Hannatu Sani, another occupant appealed to President Tinubu and the Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State to intervene, saying that most of them have spent resources and energy to prevent the place from decaying when the facility was abandoned.
A legal practitioner and Human Rigths Activist, Barrister Mohammed Alkassim, advised the President not to overlook the cries of the people, regarding the current plan to evict them from the facility.
“This issue came to my notice from a complaint I received from a resident of the facility to see a possible the legal way to solve the problem, it is very important to look at the provision of the law.
“This Housing Scheme came up in 2016 under the National Housing Programme in the administration of late President Muhammadu Buhari.The essence of the Housing Scheme was to allow all Nigerians from the various sectors, particularly those from low and medium income levels to participate in this Housing Scheme.”
“Now, this Housing Scheme are being referred particularly in our constitution as state policies enshrined under chapter 2 of the 1999 constitution as amended.”
On the allegation that the facility had been allocated to the Nigerian Airforce, the legal Practitioner argued that the Ministry of Defence has its own scheme of housing acquisition, stressing that this particular facility is not meant for the Nigerian Airforce.
“Had it been it is all over the federation that it is being alleged that Nigerian Airforce planned to acquire this particular Housing Scheme, the story would have been different, but why Bauchi State. It is important for the ministry of Housing and Urban Development to take this problem as a matter of urgency and come to the aid of these displaced people by making sure the authorities vacate the premises within 24 hours,” he said.
Responding to the complaints of the protesters, the Controller of the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development Bauchi, Arch Nwamadu Herbertson said the occupants are illegal occupants.”
He said that expression of interest forms were initially issued to the citizens sometime ago, but the houses were not officially allocated to anyone Nationwide, and sometime in the month of April 2025, the expression of interest forms were suspended and widely publicised.
The Controller said because the houses remained under the custody of the ministry, officials used to visit the place, and during one of their visits, they saw people inside the Houses and since “we didn’t allocate the house to anybody, we asked them to vacate. We gave them notice to vacate four times, they didn’t. We have informed our headquarters and await further directives.”
On the allegation that the Housing Scheme has been sold to the Nigerian Airforce, the Controller denied the allegation.
