Members of the Coalition of Indigenous Communities of Abuja (CICA) on Tuesday laid siege to the entrance gates of the National Assembly to protest the alleged killing of their citizens by the Nigerian military.

The protesters who carried placards with inscriptions such as ‘It Is Seven Days Now That FCT Native Was Killed’, ‘Nigerian Army Stop Killing FCT Natives’ and ‘Protect Residents And Their Property, Not The Opposite’ also blocked the gate to the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).

The group had on Thursday last week embarked on renewed protests over alleged killing and maiming of some indigenes for protesting the alleged forceful acquisition of their land at Giri, Kpakuru, Ido Saraki, Zuba and Tungan Maje by the military.

Speaking to newsmen, the leader of the group, Dalhatu Musa said the struggle to stop military brutality over their land started in 2016 and had continued without any positive outcome.

Musa said: “We were told that the military was not allocated the land they were laying claim to. So we had expected that they would revert to status quo and stop harassing us.

“Unfortunately, one of our kinsmen was killed last week and several others injured when the military tried to forcefully eject them from the land they were farming on. When this matter started, we petitioned the FCT Minister and we were told they were not allocated the land.

“The ministry reported the matter to the Presidency and a presidential committee was set up headed by Abba Kyari to look into the matter and they asked the army to stop whatever they were doing there.

“Still they went there with their bulldozer to dig trenches to stop the indigenes from accessing their villages and farms.”

He further maintained that they would not be deceived by assurances that the National Assembly was attending to the matter, describing last week’s decision by the Senate to refer the matter to its Committee on Defence as a ploy to frustrate the matter.

Musa insisted that they would not relent in their quest until either the President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki or the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara addressed them.