Amnesty International has raised the alarm over the demolition of its fence and adjoining structures around its office in Maitama, Abuja, alleging that the exercise has exposed its premises to security risks and disrupted its water supply.

The Executive Director of Amnesty International Nigeria, Isa Sanusi, said the demolition was carried out on Tuesday morning by officials of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), accompanied by armed security personnel, despite ongoing discussions with the authorities to resolve the dispute.

However, the FCT Development Control official in charge of Maitama District, Samson Atureta, said the demolition affected only the fence of the organisation's building because it had encroached on another person's property. He added that notices had been issued before the exercise.

Residents and business operators in the area told Daily Trust on Wednesday that fences and portions of about three to four other buildings were also affected by the demolition.

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The incident comes amid concerns raised by Amnesty International over activities on a disputed green area and public utility corridor in Maitama, identified as Plot 5334, Cadastral Zone A06.

Sanusi told Daily Trust that the demolition began around 9am on Tuesday, following a series of notices issued earlier in the year and objections raised by the organisation.

According to him, the organisation also wrote to the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, after which discussions aimed at resolving the dispute through alternative dispute resolution commenced.

However, he said the discussions had yet to be concluded when the authorities issued a final demolition notice and carried out the exercise the following day.

He said the demolition had left the organisation's office more vulnerable, forcing it to make additional security arrangements, while its water supply had been cut off.

Asked whether the demolition was connected to Amnesty International's criticism of alleged human rights violations and the conduct of government authorities, Sanusi said the organisation was suspicious but would not speculate on the motive.

"We don't want to speculate, but we believe that there is more to it than meets the eye," he said.

He expressed disappointment with the authorities, alleging that the demolition proceeded despite efforts to resolve the dispute.

Sanusi further claimed that a neighbour had instituted a court case over the matter, arguing that the authorities should not have proceeded with actions concerning the disputed land while litigation was ongoing.

He said the incident had raised broader concerns about the management of green areas and urban development in the FCT, alleging that the destruction of such spaces threatened the city's environmental integrity and residents' safety.

According to him, green areas serve environmental purposes and provide open spaces where residents can gather during emergencies, including floods and fires.

He warned that the destruction of such spaces could leave residents without safe gathering points during emergencies, particularly as development encroached on waterways and public utility corridors.

Sanusi said the organisation was consulting its lawyers on the next line of action and considering a global urgent action campaign to draw international attention to the matter.

He added that Amnesty International had written to the Chief of Staff to the President to raise concerns over the demolition.

The executive director insisted that the dispute went beyond the organisation's premises, arguing that it had wider implications for the protection of green spaces and urban planning in Abuja.

CISLAC condemns demolition

The Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, also condemned the demolition, describing it as an attack on civic space.

Rafsanjani called on Wike to respect citizens' legitimate property rights, alleging that the exercise was part of a wider pattern of demolitions and land seizures affecting property owners in the FCT.

"It is unfortunate that we are also affected by this thing despite the appeal and everything that has been done to him. And this is really part of the attack on civil space," he said.

He noted that Amnesty International had consistently criticised alleged human rights violations and breaches of due process under successive administrations, adding that the organisation had previously faced what he described as organised attacks.

Rafsanjani maintained that Amnesty International was not a political organisation and had no affiliation with any political party.

"Amnesty International in every regime, whether at local or at state or at national level, when we see human rights infraction, when we see abuse of due process, we speak out," he said.

He urged the FCT minister not to target civil society organisations because of their criticism of government policies or actions.

"If you have an issue with a politician, you should not transfer it to civil society," he said.

Rafsanjani also appealed to Wike to respect the property rights of Nigerians and refrain from demolishing buildings or taking over plots without proper justification.

Meanwhile, some residents and business operators who witnessed the demolition said they were unaware of the circumstances surrounding the exercise or whether the affected property owners had received prior notices.

Mohammed Ismail, a Point of Sale (POS) operator, said he was attending to customers when officials of the FCT Development Control Department arrived with security personnel.

"Yesterday, we were here doing our normal business when we suddenly noticed Development Control officials with their vans. They came with a convoy of policemen and destroyed the fence," he said.

Ismail said he could not establish the reason for the demolition but had heard that the matter was being contested in court.

"I don't really know what happened. I don't know if they have concluded the case. What I heard was that there had been an ongoing case in court over the old fence and everything," he said.

Another witness, Awal Muhammed, said he did not know whether the affected property owners had been served demolition notices.

"I didn't know if they gave them a notice. I just saw a lot of police officers and a tractor bringing down the fence, but we could not understand what was happening," he said.

Vincent Audu, another witness, also confirmed seeing the operation but said he could not explain how it began or the reasons behind it.

Efforts to obtain a reaction from the Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication and Social Media to the FCT Minister, Lere Olayinka, were unsuccessful as he had not responded to a WhatsApp message as of the time of filing this report.