FCTA demolishes over 1,800 shops, shanties in Apo-Dutse pantaker market

The Federal Capital Territory Administration, (FCTA), on Thursday, pulled down over 1,800 shops, shanties in Apo-Dutse area of Abuja.  The Senior Special Assistant on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement to the minister of FCT, Ikharo Attah, while speaking to journalists at the site, said the pantaker market was an illegal one and that over 4,000 shops […]

The Federal Capital Territory Administration, (FCTA), on Thursday, pulled down over 1,800 shops, shanties in Apo-Dutse area of Abuja. 

The Senior Special Assistant on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement to the minister of FCT, Ikharo Attah, while speaking to journalists at the site, said the pantaker market was an illegal one and that over 4,000 shops and shanties would be removed in the next few days.

According to him, “We have gotten several complaints of security challenges in the district, mostly because of the ever busy Apo-Dutse pantaker market and that has been very worrisome. 

“The Minister of FCT, Malam Muhammad Bello, FCT Police Commissioner, Sunday Babaji, and several others have raised concern over what is going on here. There are good people here and there are very bad ones too. It is the largest pantaker market, not only in Abuja but the whole of the central region and it is illegal. 

“The FCT Minister gave the directive that we should clear the entire market so that those who are plot owners will be able to take over their land and start development of mass housing,’’ he said.

The Chairman Association of Scrap Dealers of the market, Anas  Ismail, said most of the youths that operate in the area depend on the scrap business for survival.

He appealed to the FCT Administration to provide a place for the genuine scrap dealers to continue with their business.

Ismail explained that with the high level of insecurity in the country, the traders who are mostly youth, should be given serious attention.

“We can’t fight government, but now that the market is demolished, there should be another place for us to relocate, else some may turn to criminals,” he pleaded.

The coordinator, Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC), Shuaibu Umar, who came for inspection, said the size of the market was almost equivalent to a district as it sits on over 50 hectares of land.