Residents of Angwa Dio and Angwa Shibaba areas of Tungamaje, Abuja, have been ordered to vacate their homes by Wednesday, August 12, 2026, following a directive reportedly issued by the Nigerian Army.
The Army has also marked several houses in the communities for demolition, with residents saying they have been given until Wednesday, August 12, 2026, to leave the affected areas.
The residents were initially asked to vacate their homes by Saturday, August 8, 2026, but an intervention by stakeholders resulted in a five-day extension.
A community source told SaharaReporters that more than 30 houses have been earmarked for demolition across the two communities, while residents have been asked to vacate the areas entirely.
“The Nigerian Army have now taken unprecedented steps. They gave quit notice to people asking them to leave and when community members pleaded, they were told the order was from above and nothing could be done about it,” the community source told SaharaReporters.
As of the time of filing this report, many homeowners in the area remained stranded and uncertain about where they would relocate if the demolition proceeded.
“Many of those who have been asked to leave the communities are not even sure of where to go. Already, there is panic as the Nigerian Army has vowed to come heavily to ensure demolition of the houses after the expiration of the grace period given,” a resident told SaharaReporters.
The latest development is an escalation of a long-running dispute between residents of Tungamaje and personnel of the Nigerian Army over land ownership and access to farmlands in the area.
In May 2026, SaharaReporters reported that Tungamaje residents had raised the alarm over what they described as the forceful eviction of people from their ancestral lands by personnel of the Nigerian Army.
Residents who spoke to SaharaReporters alleged that some Army personnel had turned the area into their personal property.
“This time, it’s not just the Army authorities alone, but personnel who have turned themselves into landowners. They come independently, drive people away from their lands and thereafter take possession of them,” an angry resident told SaharaReporters.
It was further alleged that some personnel of the Nigerian Army went as far as renting out the lands after chasing the original owners away.
Residents said repeated appeals by affected persons had not been heeded, leaving many locals who depend on farming for survival devastated and stranded during the ongoing farming season.
Residents who spoke to SaharaReporters also appealed for urgent intervention to prevent Tungamaje land from becoming a free-for-all, where different personnel allegedly use the name of the Nigerian Army to claim ownership while residents become victims of abuse of power.
In October 2025, residents accused the Nigerian Army of ordering them to vacate their homes ahead of planned demolition operations, reportedly warning that those who failed to comply would face consequences.
The directive reportedly caused panic in the community, with residents expressing uncertainty over where they would relocate.
Earlier, in April 2025, parts of a community workshop centre were reportedly demolished by armed military personnel, who also allegedly ordered residents living nearby to leave.
Further reports indicated that some houses were demolished in the early hours of April 1, resulting in the displacement of several families.
Residents said the repeated demolitions had disrupted livelihoods and left many households struggling, particularly because farming is the main source of income for residents of Tungamaje.
Residents have consequently appealed for urgent intervention to prevent further displacement and address what they described as continued harassment and disruption by the Nigerian Army.
Efforts to obtain the reaction of the Director of Army Public Relations, Col. Appolonia Anele, had not yielded a response as of the time of filing this report. She had not responded to requests for comments sent via text message and phone calls to her line.