Some traders were left stranded as the FCT Ministerial Taskforce on City Sanitation demolished a mini-market built on the land belonging to the National Council of Women Societies (NCWS) in Area 11.
The traders who had resumed their normal daily activities early Monday morning had their makeshift shops, stalls, restaurants, and POS stands pulled down by the Taskforce.
The traumatised traders mostly, food vendors, said they were given three months to move, but had been waiting for the administration to allocate another place to them.
They lamented that the government was insensitive to their plight and the impact of the demolition on their businesses.
One of them, Rafat Mohammed expressed worry over starting all over.
"This is worrying, where will I go and start? Government supposed to provide an alternative place for us before the demolition," she said.
A leader of the traders, Mallam Ibrahim Lawal admitted that the FCT Administration gave them a notice of three months but said it was yet to elapse.
"I feel very bad because we were given three months but is not up to the three months.
“We were following up on the issue till late last week. The people that came told us that they were sent by the Minister.
“Others said the Minister is not aware of the demolition. How come?
“The minister promised us land, we have not seen it," he complained.
The Senior Special Assistant to the FCT Minister on Monitoring, Inspection, and Enforcement, Ikharo Attah explained that the market had to be cleared as it was “constituting a nuisance” in the area.
"This place is constituting a nuisance in Area 11.
“It started as a small restaurant and gradually 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 Minister of FCT, Mallam Mohammad Bello has directed that we should clear the place.
“Such illegality will not stand. We gave them warning before coming," he added.
