Traders lament as Wike demolishes popular Kilishi market in Abuja

 

The iconic Kilishi market in Area 1, Abuja, has been razed by the Nyesom Wike-led Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA).

In Nigeria, kilishi is a dried beef product comparable to jerky prepared from cow, sheep, or goat meat.

The demolition which took place on Monday morning followed a notice issued on Sunday by Muktar Galadima, the FCTA Director of Development Control, during a meeting with traders and owners of shops at the Area 1 shopping complex.

The meeting was to reach an understanding with the traders and owners of shops in the area before the demolition was carried out.

Galadima stated that attachment shops, other illegal constructions, and parking lots have made the roads around the complex impassable.

But speaking newsmen, Aminu Maradun, a kilishi trader at the Area 1 shopping centre, claimed that the officials only told the traders that they needed to clean up the area and not demolish it.

According to Maradun, he was surprised to see that the market was being demolished when he arrived there on Monday morning.

“I am surprised, I don’t know what is happening. They are demolishing the Kilishi market. They only came here yesterday and told us to shift our things because they wanted to do some work there, but they didn’t tell us they wanted to demolish the market. Only for them to come very early to demolish the place.

“Honestly, we never knew it was going to be demolition. I was called by my people who told me what was happening, by the time I got here around 8:30 a.m. they had already gone far.”

“The whole thing has disorganized us, especially me,” he added.