The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), in partnership with security agencies, has recovered vandalized public assets valued at over ₦1 billion following recent raids on Pantaker markets in Abuja.
This was disclosed by the Coordinator of the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC), Felix Obuah, during a meeting with Pantaker market operators held in his office on Friday.
Obuah recalled that earlier in January, the FCT Security Committee, chaired by Minister Nyesom Wike, had ordered a two-week suspension of operations across all Pantaker markets in the territory.
According to him, “Public items worth more than ₦1 billion were recovered during a recent raid on some Pantaker markets by the Police and other security agencies, with many disturbing revelations.”
Following these developments, the FCTA and security agencies have finalized plans to profile all Pantaker markets and operators within the FCT.
He explained, “All Pantaker operators must be registered and profiled. This will help us identify genuine traders and understand who is doing what, where, and how.”
Obuah emphasized that the profiling process aims to improve monitoring, regulation, and coordination among the security agencies, Abuja Market Management Ltd, and the AMMC. He noted that the initiative will also help curb vandalism and ensure only legitimate operators are allowed to function in the territory.
Furthermore, Pantaker operators will be required to register both their suppliers and buyers. “We need to know who supplies you and who you sell to. These records are vital for accountability and security purposes,” he added.
He urged traders to report any suspicious items brought for sale, warning that anyone found with stolen or vandalized materials would face arrest and prosecution.
Supporting Obuah’s remarks, Adamu Gwary, Director of the Security Services Department at the FCTA, stated that only profiled Pantaker operators would be permitted to resume business.
Similarly, the FCT Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu, announced that the profiling exercise would officially begin on February 1st, condemning the vandalism of public infrastructure and assuring that security agencies would not relent until the crime is eradicated.
In response, the National Chairman of Pantaker Operators, Alhaji Abbas Bello, expressed the group’s full support for the initiative, acknowledging that some criminal elements had been disguising themselves as genuine operators. He added that the exercise would help identify and remove such bad actors from the system.
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