The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), Enforcement Team on Movement Restriction, on Tuesday demolished a makeshift street market located at AYA Junction in Asokoro for violating the COVID-19 lockdown order.
Chairman of the Team, Mr Ikharo Attah, told newsmen in Abuja that the demolition became necessary to stop community transmission of COVID-19.
“Considering the fact that the place was not just a market, but has been turned into an illegal home to many of the traders.
“The FCT administration with a deep sense of humanity had given the traders quit notice since January to vacate this place, but they refused to leave,” he said.
Attah said that demolishing the place, was in the interest of the citizenry, especially as some of the active cases of COVID-19 were reportedly found in Asokoro.
“At the wake of COVID-19 pandemic, it was discovered that many of the traders have converted the makeshift shops to living houses.
“Despite the lockdown, the places were becoming dangerously overcrowded,” he said.
According to him, the latest discovery showed that the place was not just overcrowded against health protocols COVID-19 pandemic, but it has become a hide out for criminals.
“We gave them quit notice long before the lockdown because it was defacing the place with all the horrible shanties you can see here.
“After about four adjustments of quit notices, we had to quickly come and clean up the place. What we are seeing here is making the lockdown enforcement very difficult.
“We are cleaning the place for their own safety, because this ought to be a road interchange, but they turned it to a horrible market.
“This place has become excessively crowded and is not safe for the people in the advent of this deadly Coronavirus pandemic. We had asked them to leave the place and go home, but they refused to go.
“This place has also turned a very dangerous hid out for criminals and with the authority of FCTA we have to clean up the place to enable them go to their various home and be safe,” he said. (NAN)