The Residents of Kpaduma, a community in Asokoro Federal Capital Territory (FCT) hosting the demolished Kasuwan Dare market, have said that the market is gone for their security and safety.
The market which has been in existence over the past 20 years, is alleged to be a nest for all sorts of suspected criminals unleashing terror on residents of the area. It became the first causality of the demolition exercise of FCT Minister, Nyesome Wike.
Mr Bitrus Yakubu, the Village Head of Kpaduma said the decision of FCT authorities to pull down the structure is a proactive security strategy to get rid of the criminal elements hiding under the structure of the market.
“The place has been here for over 20 years, but today it has gone down for our own good. We are very happy as a community, that the area is cleared for good,” he said.
However, reports indicate that another underlying motive for demolishing the market is its proximity to the residence of Wike. Therefore, the suspected criminals alleged to be harbouring the market are seen as constituting security threats to the minister.
The market has been marked as illegal and a threat to the residents of the community, the Director of the Department of Development Control, Mr Mukhtar Galadima argued.
He further noted that all efforts by the FCTA to get rid of the area of criminal elements in the past were unsuccessful.
He added, “The operation would help us get rid of the hoodlums and drug dealers that have taken over the place. We had demolished the place about three times, but they rebuilt and continued their activities
“This time around, the demolished market will remain demolished. We need to sanitise the place and enhance the aesthetic quality of the environment. It is also part of the current administration’s policy of sanitising the city, and this is one of the areas where we are beginning the exercise.”
