From Ahmad Saka, Bauchi
There was palpable tension in Bauchi on Tuesday as occupants of the Federal Government’s 2016 National Housing Scheme along the Ningi-Kano Road staged a peaceful protest over alleged plans by the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development (FMHUD) to forcefully evict them from the estate.
The residents, who occupy two-bedroom semi-detached bungalows built under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, raised alarm over an alleged plan to sell the estate to the Nigerian Air Force. They appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene and halt what they described as an "unlawful and unjust" eviction.
Speaking during the protest, the Secretary of the residents' association, Mohammed Kabir, said the houses were allocated to them after fulfilling all necessary requirements set by the Ministry.
“We were issued keys after meeting all the conditions provided by the Ministry. Now, without due process, we are being served eviction notices with claims that the estate has been sold to the Nigerian Air Force,” he said.
Kabir added that they were initially assured by the Ministry that the temporary allocation would eventually become permanent, only to now face sudden ejection notices.
Another protester, Mohammed Alfa, a federal civil servant, claimed deductions have been made from his salary as part of a home ownership contribution plan for over 20 years.
"I was shocked to hear the property has been sold. We woke up one day to be told to vacate the place. We are law-abiding citizens and deserve better,” he said.
Mrs. Hannatu Sani, another resident, pleaded with President Tinubu and Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed to intervene, saying many occupants had invested heavily in maintaining the property after it was abandoned for years.
Human rights lawyer, Barrister Mohammed Alkassim, condemned the planned eviction and urged the federal government to protect the rights of the occupants.
“This housing scheme was part of a national policy initiated in 2016 to address the accommodation needs of low- and middle-income Nigerians. It is enshrined in Chapter 2 of the 1999 Constitution as amended,” he explained.
Alkassim noted that the Nigerian Air Force already has its own housing schemes and questioned why only the Bauchi estate is allegedly being considered for transfer.
“If this had been the case across all states, it would be understandable. Why is it only happening in Bauchi? The Ministry must act with urgency and stop this eviction threat,” he said.
Responding to the allegations, the Controller of the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development in Bauchi, Arch. Nwamadu Herbertson, described the residents as illegal occupants.
He stated that while expression of interest forms were issued in the past, no official allocations were made nationwide. He explained that the process was suspended in April 2025 and that public notices were issued to that effect.
“Our officials discovered unauthorized occupants during a routine inspection. Since no official allocations were made, we asked them to vacate the premises. We served four eviction notices but they refused to comply. We have since reported the matter to our headquarters for further directives,” he said.
Arch. Herbertson, however, denied claims that the estate had been sold to the Nigerian Air Force.
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