FCT Indigenes Demand Land Restitution, Political Inclusion

FCT indigenes in the Federal Capital Territory are demanding land restitution, political inclusion, and economic empowerment to preserve their heritage and survival. At a Grand Cultural Rally in Abuja marking the United Nations International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, the executive director of CHRICED, Ibrahim Zikirullahi, highlighted the community's marginalization through land dispossession, political exclusion, and economic neglect over the past decade.

The indigenous community has faced ancestral land seizures without consultation or compensation, leading to their exclusion from political representation and economic opportunities. Calls were made for government, development partners, and civil society to commit to land restitution, affirmative political representation, and targeted economic investments to address longstanding inequalities.

Various leaders and representatives emphasized the importance of recognizing indigenous rights, unity, and advocacy for policy changes to ensure equitable treatment and justice for FCT's original inhabitants.