“I am aware the police came to raid the market last week Friday, but the guys are back, and I am here to sell my old fridge”
Just a week after a raid and closure by the FCT Joint Security Task Force, the Mpape Panteka International Market, a suburb of Abuja, has reopened for business, with activities already back in full swing, a check by Persecondnews has revealed.
A visit to the market by a Persecondnews correspondent on Saturday found that vendors have resumed selling unauthorized goods, openly flouting directives to cease operations despite the presence of barricade tape intended to restrict access.
FCT Police Commissioner Olatunji Rilwan Disu had on Monday said the command shut down the market to ensure proper screening of scrap dealers operating there.
Speaking with newsmen, he expressed concern over incessant cases of theft of manhole covers and other government and private facilities by scavengers in the territory.
“It is on this premise that the Panteka International Market has been shut down for two weeks so that they can come forward for us to profile them, while scavengers have also been banned from scavenging in any streets of Abuja, the city centre,” Disu had said.
Also, the FCT Minister Nyesom Wike had directed a joint task force to raid scrap dealers’ shops across the territory to recover stolen manhole covers and other public facilities by scavengers.
When questioned by Persecondnews, Monday Ovoke, a vendor selling a used refrigerator at the market, nonchalantly acknowledged the recent police raid, saying, “I know the police came last Friday, but the guys are back to their usual ways, and I’m here to sell my old fridge.”
When asked to produce a receipt as proof of ownership for the refrigerator, Ovoke confidently replied, “I know them, and they know me, so that’s not an issue,” implying a familiar and possibly illicit arrangement.
Another vendor, Abdullahi Ibrahim who spoke to our correspondent said: “January is a very tough month and we buy and sell more during this period.
“We are back because times are hard, most especially in January, yes they said we should move but how do we survive, make government allow us do our business abeg.”
Persecondnews reported that the FCT Police Command had earlier listed Mpape as one of the 15 black spots in Abuja, following raids aimed at preventing crime and protecting infrastructure.
No fewer than 348 suspects were apprehended for various criminal activities with 320 of the number
prosecuted in court.
Items recovered from the critical infrastructure theft, included 26 manhole covers and 20 solar/streetlight poles.
The Police Command had assured residents that it remains committed to ensuring their safety and security.
The Command encourages residents to report emergencies or suspicious activities to the Police Command Control Room via 08061581938, 08032003913, or 08028940883.
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