From: Tunde Omolehin, Sokoto
Traders within Kara International Market, Sokoto, have sent a Save Our Soul (SOS) appeal to Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal over activities of alleged land grabbers.
The market is noted for trading in livestock such as goats, rams, cow, horse and camel, even beyond the shores of Nigeria.
Speaking with Daily Sun, Sectional Chairmen of the traders, Alhaji Kabiru Aliero and Alhaji Bashir Bello, noted that the activities of land speculators are hampering trade and threatening the peace of the market.
The traders are, therefore, calling on the state government to intervene the culprits are fast driving legitimate traders out of markets.
The also bemoaned what they called illegal allocation of spaces within the market, which they claimed would hinder entrance into the market and reduce parking space for trailers and customers.
They alleged that the chairman of the goat/ram section, Alhaji Buba Gaggi, was behind the land speculators.
They, however, appealed to the state government to intervene and put a stop to the illegal allocation of space within the market.
“We suddenly arrived at the market and realized that space for 64 shops was marked overnight. One of the buyers said each allottees paid between six and seven hundred thousand naira to secure allocation in the market,” the chairmen alleged.
They also claimed that they had sent letter of complaint to relevant authorities but up till now, no response.
Efforts to get the reactions of the state commissioner for land and housing, Alhaji Bello Gwiwa, was abortive as sources said he was out of the state.
An anonymous source in the ministry however told our correspondent that the ministry is unaware of the traders complaint as there were no traces of their letter of complaint in the ministry.
When contacted, Alhaji Buba Gaggi, denied his involvement in the sales of portion of the market.