The Wuse market in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) returned to its usual bustling state after experiencing another crisis.
The trouble began on Monday morning when a group of hoodlums attacked the market management staff known as the Taskforce.
These staff members had recently been transferred from other markets by the Abuja Markets Management Limited (AMML), which oversees several markets in the FCT.
At the end, three of the market management staff were left in critical condition while others suffered various degrees of injuries. The market office was not also spared as the miscreants descended on it, damaging any valuable on sight.
Addressing newsmen on the development, the HOD(Operations) AMML, Innocent Amaechina said that the hoodlums who have been operating as touts in the market attacked the staff of AMML who had just been redeployed to Wuse Market obviously because these compliance officers effectively checkmate the menacing activities of the touts in the market.
He said: “So, on sighting these particular staff, the touts who by their actions knew of this transfer, swooped on our staff leaving three of them severely injured.”
Speaking further, Amaechina noted that no staff was sacked, contrary to a report that the hoodlums were protesting the return of a sacked staff.
Instead, he wondered how touts and hoodlums who had no stake in the market would be in a position to choose let alone protest who should or should not form part of the market management team.
While thanking the FCT Police Commissioner, Ben Igweh for his prompt intervention on restoring normalcy to the market, the Market Managers, assured the traders and other market users of their safety in the market, going forward.
“We are glad to report that the FCT Police are on top of this and we are providing all necessary support alongside the Wuse market traders to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to book”, Amaechina said.
“We are not unmindful of the trauma that our staff, the traders and other market users have gone through, as well as the overall poor perception these occurrences can attract to the market and the FCT at large. we can assure all our stakeholders and the market users that we won’t let this slide. For this reason we are putting far-reaching measures in place that will engender sustainable sanity in the market”, he added.
NIGERIAN TRIBUNE