ABUJA – The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has enforced a fourteen-day suspension on the operation of pantaker markets, commencing this week.
Pantaker markets serve as venues for the sale of second-hand goods and scrap metal, encompassing furniture and household appliances.
This temporary cessation aims to facilitate a comprehensive screening of pantaker operators by security agencies, ensuring that only bona fide individuals are engaged in these markets across the FCT.
While these markets serve as a source for construction and home furnishing materials, particularly those of a second-hand nature, they have also been identified as a hub for the disposal of stolen properties.
This decision follows the proclamation by the Commissioner of Police in FCT, Olatunji Disu, who announced a prohibition on scavenging during a press briefing subsequent to the FCT Security Committee Meeting in Abuja earlier in the week.
Disu stipulated that scavengers are exclusively permitted to operate at designated dumpsites located on the peripheries of the city and its environs.
“All security agencies have been tasked with ensuring the stringent enforcement of this directive, commencing from January 14,”he affirmed.
The commissioner emphasized that individuals apprehended for vandalizing public infrastructure will be prosecuted, facing charges varying from economic sabotage to attempted murder.
He underscored that the prevailing lenient sanctions, typically comprising community service or fines, perpetuate a cycle of recidivism among offenders.
“The consequences of their actions are so trivial that we witness a recurrence of criminal conduct among them.
“The activities of these vandals pose a substantial peril to the lives of FCT residents, as the removal of manhole covers on roads can lead to fatal accidents, particularly during nocturnal hours,”Disu expounded.
He highlighted that those involved in the vandalism of public infrastructure are jeopardising the communal assets of all FCT residents.
“Hotlines have been provided; if you observe any suspicious activities, do not hesitate to report them. Let us collaborate to safeguard all government facilities,” he said.
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