The pandemonium that erupted at the popular Wuse Market in Abuja on Tuesday afternoon was solely the handiwork of unruly hoodlums, says the market’s manager, Zubairu Ibrahim.
Ibrahim, in a statement, explained that trouble started when a wanted criminal, known for causing havoc in the market, was spotted and apprehended by security officials.
The suspect was thereafter swiftly put on trial at a standard mobile court set up within the market premises.
“After the mobile court found him guilty, he was handcuffed, but then he started running away. This prompted some of his fellow hoodlums to start pelting the police with stones,” Ibrahim recounted.
According to him, the situation quickly escalated as the hoodlums set fire to the market’s office and several vehicles parked in the vicinity.
Following the escalation of the crisis, the acting managing director of the Abuja Markets Management Limited, Engr. Yakubu Abbas, immediately put a call to the Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations in FCT Command, who immediately despatched mobile police officers to the scene to put crisis under control.
He added that the acting MD also arrived the scene immediately.
“We have taken serious actions and efforts through the Abuja Market Management Limited to secure our markets and maintain peace, which is why we have an eagle-eye approach to security.
“This unrest could have been avoided if not for the unruly actions of these known hoodlums,” he stated.
Ibrahim added that the increased spate of insecurity in the Federal Capital Territory necessitated the heightened security measures adopted by the market authorities.
“Thankfully, after the Fire Service extinguished the blaze at one of the offices, the combined efforts of security agencies were able to restore order at the Wuse Market,” he added.
The market manager insisted that such chaotic scenes would not be tolerated, vowing that stringent actions would be taken against anybody bent on breaching the peace of the market.
“We will not allow miscreants to disturb the seamless commercial activities taking place in our markets,” Ibrahim stated firmly, adding that, “The laws will be fully applied to anyone trying to foment trouble.”
