The Federal Capital Territory Administration on Friday in Abuja raised the alarm over increasing rate of illegal and criminal activities in Gudu District electrical and auto spare parts market.
This was when a combined team of the FCT Ministerial Committee on City Sanitation and Enforcement squad of Abuja Environmental Protection Board visited the market.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the visit was to sensitise the traders to plans of the team to enforce court order on sanitation.
The team warned the illegal traders of imminent enforcement of a court order to rid the market of all illegalities and then gave a 72-hour ultimatum for the removal of shanties.
Ikharo Attah, the Chairman, FCT Ministerial Committee on City Sanitation, said the exercise had become necessary as the market had been overtaken by illegalities that threatened public safety.
“What the traders own in this market are their shops and not the walkways and parking lots. The traders have turned the car parks into warehouse,” he said.
Attah gave 72 hours ultimatum to illegal traders to remove their goods from walkways and car parks, warning that if they fail to comply, the FCTA would have no other choice than to enforce the court order and totally shut down the market and clean it.
Also, the Head of Enforcement Squad, AEPB, Kaka Bello, explained that the 72-hour ultimatum was given to enable various unions in the market to correct all the wrongs.
Bello said: “We are here to enforce a court order on the cleaning of the market.
“The market has been characterised by all forms of nuisance by traders who display their wares on walk ways, car parks and other places.
“We are giving them 72 hours to remove the entire nuisance.”
Responding, the Managing Director, Abuja Market Management Limited, Alhaji Ibrahim Uzaibat, confirmed that traders were alerted on several contraventions and illegal activities tarnishing the image of the market.
Uzaibat said all major markets in Abuja had approved blueprint that must not be compromised and that comprehensive sanitation exercise had started in some of the markets to restore sanity and shoppers’ confidence.
He said: “Court order has been issued to the traders for them to stop these nuisances.
“This intervention exercise is billed to take place anytime soon.
“Before it happens, however, on behalf of the Federal Capital Territory Administration, we wish to inform every trader, shop owners, market users and other stakeholders in Gudu market Abuja of the plan to sanitise the market.”