By AMOS MATHEW, Kaduna –
Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Kaduna Branch, on Tuesday, led residents of six communities in Igabi Local Government Area in a peaceful protest against alleged illegal demolitions and persistent disobedience of court orders by the Nigerian Army.
The protest, which took place at the Secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Kaduna, was staged in response to what the NBA and affected residents described as human rights violations and contempt for judicial authority by the Commander of the Infantry Corps Centre (ICC), Jaji, Major General Usman Abdulmumin Yusuf.
The affected communities—Mallam Auta, Ungwan Yohanna, Ungwan Aboki, Sabon Ungwan Loya, Ungwan Railway, and Ungwan Alhassan—joined the NBA in condemning the demolition of homes and farmlands under alleged military supervision.
Protesters carried placards demanding adherence to the rule of law and chanted slogans declaring that military institutions are not above civil authority.
Chairman of the NBA Kaduna Branch, Baba Lawal Aliyu, told journalists that the association was deeply concerned about the continued demolition of ancestral homes and forceful evictions, despite valid court orders restraining such actions.
He noted that on August 15, homes in Ungwan Aboki were demolished under military guard in the middle of the night, displacing hundreds of families, including women, children, the elderly, and persons with disabilities.
He further revealed that Hayin Mallam Auta had been marked for similar demolition, despite subsisting court injunctions prohibiting any further action.
Aliyu said several High Court rulings issued between 2018 and 2021 had ordered all parties to maintain the status quo, warning that any defiance of these rulings constituted contempt of court.
He referenced the landmark Supreme Court judgment in Military Governor of Lagos State v. Ojukwu (1986), which reaffirmed that no individual or institution—military or civilian—is above the law.
“The commander’s actions are a direct assault on the judiciary and a dangerous precedent in a constitutional democracy. This is unacceptable,” Aliyu declared.
The NBA called for an immediate halt to all planned demolitions, particularly in Hayin Mallam Auta, and demanded the release of individuals allegedly arrested and detained without lawful warrants during previous operations.
They also urged both the Federal and Kaduna State Governments, as well as civil society and the international community, to intervene and safeguard the rule of law.
“The NBA Kaduna Branch stands firmly with the affected communities. We will not retreat in the defence of justice. Fiat Justitia Ruat Caelum—let justice be done though the heavens fall,” Aliyu stated.
However, in an earlier response, the Commander of the Infantry Corps Centre, Major General Usman Yusuf, defended the Army’s actions, saying the demolished settlements were illegal structures located within the Jaji Military Cantonment.
He maintained that such communities posed serious security risks and interfered with military training activities. He further stated that the Nigerian Army was working with the Kaduna State Government to resettle affected residents and denied that any lawful residences were demolished.
