By Stanley Onyekwere
In the wake of looming demolition exercise at Pantakers’ market, in Apo-Dutse, government has issued a final quit notice to the traders to vacate the area, before the bulldozer moves in.
Recall that the FCT Ministerial Taskforce on City Sanitation had prior to the last Ramadan issued a seven days notice but, was extended due to the fasting in the holy month period.
According to the Senior Special Assistant on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement to the minister of FCT, Ikharo Attah, the traders activities in the area was illegal and a security threat to the territory.
Attah said the administration has been issuing demolition notices to the traders for a long time and would not give them another grace after the next 24 hours.
He noted that the administration through the Taskforce squad had exhausted all the avenues for the demolition and would not accept further engagement with the traders.
According to him, another faction sent a letter to the Taskforce for quick action but another one said it should be extended to 3 weeks, since they were asked to leave the place.
He said: “ The FCT Authority is given them 24 hours to quit before the machine will roll in, this market is the biggest pantaker market in Abuja, we have given them a long period notice, prior to the last Ramadan and after the the holy month.
“We also raided shanties at Dape area of Gwarimpa District and others in Limito axis of Kado fish market”.
The Taskforce during the operation arrested 14 suspected criminals and seized illicit drugs from drug dealers in the area, and those arrested have been since handed over to the police for further investigation.
