Relocated traders decry property demolition, conversion in Abuja

Shop owners at the Panteka resettled market in Deidei area, Abuja, have called for redress over their demolished property that was converted to parking space in the area. The traders, who claimed to have originally operated at Bakasi market, in the city centre, Abuja, said they were relocated to Daidei by the Abuja Metropolitan Management […]

Shop owners at the Panteka resettled market in Deidei area, Abuja, have called for redress over their demolished property that was converted to parking space in the area.

The traders, who claimed to have originally operated at Bakasi market, in the city centre, Abuja, said they were relocated to Daidei by the Abuja Metropolitan Management Agency (AMMA) on behalf of the former FCT minister in 2007, as indicated in an allocation letter that was made available to Aso Chronicle.

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The traders, who were relocated to Deidei from the city centre, said they were also pushed out of the Deidei after investing millions of naira to put up structures on the land.

One of the property owners complained  that they were subjected to difficulties of specific approved designs and guidance from the agency to build the properties within two months, only to be relocated now.

“We spend hundreds of millions to build shops and public conveniences on the land to which we were relocated by the government, only for them to come and ask us to pack now? This is very unfair.” he said.

One of the traders lamented that in the city centre, their structures were marked and demolished in 2016 by the Abuja Development Control with a promise to compensate them with another space in a market known as Abuja regional Market.

“Unfortunately, we are yet to get the compensation with another space in the said market to pave a way for our relocation. All efforts in that regard were not successful,” he said.

Another victim, Rabiu Ibrahim, lamented that he lost five shops and two public conveniences designated for the market, during the demolition exercise.

Ibrahim explained that he bought allocation letters from the beneficiaries and developed properties but were taken away from him without compensation.

“The original owners said they could not afford to develop the land and sold them to me willingly. How is it a crime to do business in Abuja?” he decried.

Sulaiman Umar who also lost two shops appealed to the FCT minister to help them get back their legal property.

An effort to get response of the acting Secretary of the FCDA, Hajiya Zaliha Ahmed, was not successful as she was not on seat when our correspondent visited the agency on Monday.

However, the Media Assistant to the Executive Secretary, Richard Nduul, attended to the reporter and promised to respond by 12:30 pm on Tuesday but sought for more time when contacted ahead of filing this report.