FCTA bans scavenging, suspends ‘pantaker’ market operations in Abuja

The federal capital territory administration (FCTA) has banned scavengers from operating in Abuja, the nation’s capital city.

Olatunji Disu, FCT commissioner of police, announced the ban on Monday after the weekly FCT security committee meeting.

Disu said scavengers are only allowed to operate on dumpsites located on the city’s outskirts and the suburbs.

He cited the recurring cases of vandalisation of public infrastructure and repeated flouting of the law are reasons for the ban.

“All security agencies have been tasked with ensuring that this order is enforced, beginning from January 14,” he said.

Disu said the committee concluded that arrested suspects vandalising public infrastructure would be charged in court and tried for economic sabotage and possibly, attempted murder.

He said previous punishments, usually community service or a fine, meted out have not been effective.

“The punishment given to them is so menial that we notice that we are recycling these criminals,” the police commissioner said.

“The activities of the vandals are enough to kill residents of the FCT because when they remove manhole covers on the road, it can cause the death of people driving at night.

“Numbers have been given out; if you see anything, say something.”

The commissioner added that the committee also banned the operation of scrap markets, popularly known as pantaker, across the FCT for two weeks, beginning Tuesday.

Pantaker is a local slang for a market where fairly used items and scrap iron, including furniture and home appliances, are sold.

He explained that the two-week suspension was to allow security agencies to profile the pantaker operators.

This, he said, would ensure that only legitimate operators operate in Pantakers across the FCT.