FCTA demolishes mini market in Abuja

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), on Monday demolished a mini market allegedly operating on plot of land belonging to National Council of Women Societies (NCWS), at Area 1 illegally.

Mr Ikharo Attah, the Senior Special Assistant on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement to the FCT Minister, said this in Abuja after the demolition.

He said while addressing newsmen on the spot that the area, which was close to NCWS secretariat, constituted a nuisance to the environment.

He said the demolition of all the illegal structures would bring about sanity in the area that had been converted to mini market against the Abuja Master Plan.

“This place is constituting nuisance to Area 11, it started as a small restaurant, gradually it metamorphosed into a market, now it has become a serious challenge.

“The activities on this single plot of land have become a serious issue; the FCT Minister, Malam Mohammad Bello, has directed that we should clear the place.

“Such illegality will not stand. We gave them warning before coming.”

Attah, said after the demolition, the owner of the land would decide on what to be done in the plot.

A customer who was at the scene, Charles Olili, said the place was the only nearby restaurant that its food was affordable, but that “government had powers to decide what is good for the people.

“It is a legal plot of land but has been turned into an illegal market,’’he said.

Also, a trader, Rafat Mohammed, said she was worried because nowhere for her to start up.

“This is worrying, where will I go and start? Government is supposed to provide an alternative place for us before the demolition,” she said.

One of the traders and a leader, Malam Ibrahim Lawal, who expressed anger over the incident, admitted that the FCT Administration gave them a notice of three months but it was not yet time.

“I feel very bad because we were given three months but we are not up to the three months; we were following up the issue till late last week, the people that came told us that they were sent by the minister.” (NAN)