TWO indigenous residents of the Karsana community in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Sunday Danjuma and Jacob Audu, were allegedly shot and injured by policemen deployed to manage a protest over the demolition of homes in the area.
News Point Nigeria reports that the incident occurred on Monday morning when residents attempted to re-enter the demolished settlement to retrieve their belongings.
According to Zakari Baba, Chairman of the Karsana community, violence erupted at about 10:00am when police stationed at the community’s main gate denied access to displaced residents.
“The police refused to let us back into our homes to salvage what’s left. When some of the youth tried to force their way in, the officers opened fire,” Baba told our reporter.
He added that the two individuals who sustained gunshot wounds were rushed to the Gwagwa Health Centre for treatment and are currently being monitored.
Reacting to the development, Hon. Musa Dikko, Commissioner of the Public Complaints Commission (PCC) representing the FCT, confirmed the shooting incident.
Speaking to our correspondent via telephone, he said he had visited the community to help calm rising tensions and had invited the developer responsible for the demolition to appear before the commission.
“I was notified through a distress call that two natives had been shot during the protest. I immediately visited the scene and have since taken steps to de-escalate the situation,” he stated.
“We have summoned the developer to our office to explain who gave the directive for the demolition,” Dikko added.
Efforts to obtain a response from the FCT Police Command were unsuccessful. as the command’s spokesperson, SP Adeh Josephine, did not respond to calls or text messages as of the time of filing this report.
The lack of official police comment has further fueled outrage in the community and beyond, with many questioning the use of live ammunition on civilians protesting the loss of their homes.
Meanwhile, Hon. Christopher Zakka Maikalangu, Chairman of the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), has expressed strong disapproval of the demolition exercise.
Speaking to journalists earlier on Saturday, Maikalangu decried the destruction of homes, including the palace of the village chief, Yahaya Barde.
“This demolition is unacceptable and unlawful. We were not informed, and the community leadership was completely blindsided.
“I intend to take legal action against the developer,” he declared.
He questioned the legality of the demolition, especially without prior consultation or compensation to affected residents.
The incident has ignited a broader conversation about forced evictions and land disputes in Abuja’s rapidly expanding suburbs, where communities often find themselves caught between developers and government agencies.
Civil society groups and human rights advocates have called for an independent investigation into the shooting and a transparent review of land administration policies in the FCT.
Residents of Karsana, many of whom say they were born and raised in the community, have vowed to continue protesting what they described as a “deliberate displacement agenda.”
“We are not illegal settlers. Our forefathers lived here long before the city expanded. We deserve dignity, not bullets,” one of the youth leaders said.
As tensions simmer and the health of the wounded remains a concern, the people of Karsana are calling on the federal government and the National Human Rights Commission to intervene before the crisis escalates further.