AEPB Demolishes Former COVID-19 Market

By: Oji Moses & Precious Demide

The Abuja Environmental Protection Board, AEPB, has carried out the demolition of the COVID-19 market at Area 11 after the expiration of two months’ notice given to the occupants to vacate the place and go back to the major markets where they operate before the outbreak of the pandemic.

The Director of the Board, Engr. Osi Braimah, who led the operation, said the market was established as a temporary place for traders during the COVID-19 pandemic and its closure is long overdue.

According to him, “the traders wanted to turn the space to become their permanent place of trading due to its location in the heart of the city forgetting that it was created as a temporary measure to cater for the needs of the residents of the area and to assist the traders continue to earn a living.”

Engr. Braimah said he has received marching order to remove all shanties which have become hide outs for criminals and miscreants and also defacing the beauty of the Federal Capital City.

His words: “We have received marching order from the Minister of FCT, Barr. Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, to scale up activities in removing shanties and other illegal settlements primarily because it will improve the city sanitation and also cater for the attendant problem of insecurity.”

“Most of these shanties have no known addresses; people living in them have no means of proper identification and this can be a source of grave worry and a challenge”, he said.

Braimah stated that there are no empty spaces or plots of land in the Federal Capital Territory for individuals to use for any illegal business or structure.

“Every piece of land and space in the Federal Capital City is meant for someone, organization or something. There is no empty space. The lands you see are either for offices, residential, recreation, road corridors, parks, green areas and what have you. Some persons have decided not to develop their property and that is why we have some of these illegal shanties and hideouts”, the Director reiterated.

He, therefore, called on persons and organizations that own these plots and property to put them into the designed use to help check the springing up of the unauthorized habitats.