By Emmanuel Ogbodo
Traders at Zuba Fruit Market in Abuja have accused the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) of unlawfully demolishing 730 shops despite a court order halting the action.
Shop owners claimed they legally acquired the land from the Gwagwalada Area Council less than four years ago, completed necessary certifications, and consistently paid government dues.
However, the council recently announced plans for demolition, prompting traders to seek legal intervention.
“We went to court, and it ordered that the status quo be maintained until a hearing in March 2025,” a landlord association executive said, adding that “Despite this, security operatives, including police and soldiers, arrived with tear gas and demolished the shops. Traders weren’t even allowed to retrieve their goods.”
The demolition reportedly occurred while discussions were still ongoing between shop owners and the FCTA.
Traders rejected an FCTA offer of ₦500 million in compensation after the demolition. “How do you destroy our shops and then ask us to wait six months for compensation?” one trader asked.
At least 730 shops were affected, with some traders reportedly forced to return to their villages due to financial hardship. Others allegedly lost their lives from the distress.
One trader lamented, “We bought this land, yet the government took it and sold it to another company in under four years.”
Reconstruction is already underway on the cleared land, though it remains unclear if it is directly linked to the earlier demolition.
In March 2024, FCT Minister of State Mariya Mahmoud launched a 618-shop market project in Zuba, funded by Khuntex Engineering under a Public-Private Partnership with the area council providing the land.
In June 2024, traders at Zuba International Market protested after a developer, Lion Property Consult Ent Limited, revoked 300 shops without explanation, citing a separate Public-Private Partnership agreement with Gwagwalada Area Council.
Despite multiple reports of forced evictions and shop seizures, the FCT Minister’s office declined to comment.
Director of Press Anthony Ogunleye stated that Zuba Market falls under the jurisdiction of the Gwagwalada Area Council.
