No fewer than 3,000 members of the Hausa and Fulani community at Ose Nku and Ose Ogbo Ijaw, in Onitsha, Anambra State on Saturday protested alleged forceful eviction by the National Inland Water Ways Authority (NIWA).

The protesters from the community located near the bank of River Niger said most of them were born in the area over 70 years ago, querying the alleged one-day quit notice issued to them.

They appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari, Minister of Transport, Chibuike Amaechi and other relevant establishments to call the NIWA management to order forestall a breakdown of law and order.

Addressing newsmen yesterday, the leader of the community, Ali Hassan alleged deployment of the Army, Navy the Police by the NIWA management to eject them.

He vowed the community’s readiness to remain on the location, insisting they were not occupying there illegally.

“We are not illegal occupants, having spent over 70 years here and accountable to the landlords. We’re doing genuine business, including the sale of cloth, suya, goats, cows and others to survive.

“We’re surprised that since the existence of NIWA and previous managements, none have come after us except this present administration,” he said.

Another leader of the community Abubakar Garuba described the act as selfish and deceptive, adding that “They came with a deceptive plan of what they called intervention, reconstruction of culverts and protection of existing shores to ensure easy passage of water, only to later give us one day quit notice without prior information.

“You can see our houses, we are not living on culverts or waterways; you can see the distance and the vast land they want to acquire from our houses,” he added.

A 60-year-old woman Fatima Abdullahi, who said she was born and brought up there, said they lived, ate and trained their children there, wondering why anybody would eject them there without prior notice.

“We learnt a certain businessman in the state who has an interest in the area is working with NIWA managements to eject us illegally in order acquire the land illegally,” she said. (The Nation)

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