By Kula Tersoo
Makurdi
Residents of Akpen village on Kilometre 6, Gboko Road in Makurdi, the Benue state capital, yesterday watched helplessly as a bulldozer belonging to the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) demolished their buildings.
This is even as they alleged that they were deceived by the authorities of the NAF to withdraw a court case they (residents) instituted against them to pave way for an out-of-court settlement.
It would be recalled that about seven months ago, the affected buildings were marked by the NAF on the grounds that the villagers had encroached on its land.
When our correspondent visited the scene of the demolition, some of the residents, especially women and children, were weeping openly while the demolition bulldozer continued with its work with stern-looking armed soldiers kept surveillance in the area.
Ephraim (surname withheld) told Blueprint that as soon as they withdrew the case from the court, the Nigeria Air Force turned round and commenced demolition without giving them any notice.
But earlier while briefing newsmen at the Tactical Air Command, the Command’s Public Relations Officer (CPRO), Group Captain Ayodele Famuyiwa, who disclosed that NAF owned about 4835 hectares of land which was duly approved by the federal government, lamented that over the years, NAF had observed, with dismay, the encroachment of its land by “unscrupulous individuals.”
He said the two communities of Ugondo and Akpen which initially instituted court actions against NAF and the state government later resolved to withdraw the case to enable them to settle out of court, adding that “the injunction may not be said to hold any longer given that the cases had been withdrawn from the court.”