The wrath of prostitutes

Prostitutes, in Orange Mararaba market in Karu local government area of Nasarawa, went on rampage and set the market ablaze because of the demolition of their chalets.

The market on fire

Mallam Musa Abdullahi, will never forget February 28, 2013; it was the day his shop was affected by the inferno in the popular Orange Mararaba market in Karu local government area of Nasarawa state.

Abdullahi who was wearing a long face when our correspondent visited refused to speak but his friend, who simply gave his name as Abubakar revealed that Abdullahi did not only lose his goods but the money he kept for the purchase of potatoes for that day.

For Mohammed Aliyu, it was the worst day of his entire life. He said he didn’t pick anything from his shop as the fire started right from his neighbour’s shop. He said efforts to put off the fire proved abortive because of the dry leaves and baskets usually used for packaging the tomatoes. He said he lost close to N2 million worth of goods including the money he made for that day.

Aliyu claimed that though he was able to savage some goods from his shop but hoodlums especially those pushing wheel-barrows, capitalize on the situation and went away with everything.

A resident in the area, Mrs Julie Efreme, said her husband’s shop, where he sells furniture and electronics was just one of the many shops burnt. She said that she and her husband were unaware that traders were supposed to remove their shanties in the market after the traders recently contributed money to get a two-month extension on the shanties.

“The shop was full to the brim and he was not able to bring out a single thing, everything got burnt,” she disclosed.

Problem started on that fateful day, when task force from the Nasarawa Urban Development Board, NUDB stormed the area and destroyed the shanties along the Abuja-Keffi road. Unfortunately for the traders in the market, the demolition affected the commercial sex workers’ improvised chalets in that area.

Mrs Glory, who also own a shop in the Orange market and witnessed the scenario, told our correspondent that the prostitutes who were not happy and suspected that the traders were behind their ordeal, ganged up and set the market ablaze.

The woman who sells food items and popularly called ‘Amaria’ said as soon as the prostitutes set the market ablaze, they took to their heels since their belongings have been destroyed by the task force.

Efforts by the Federal Fire Service to put off the fire proved abortive as the four tankers of water brought by the firemen were not enough. During a visit to the market, our correspondent discovered that smoke was still coming out of the fire.

Some prostitutes

Our source said it took the intervention of the Nigeria Mobile Police Force to stop looting in the market. According to her, the wheel barrow pushers capitalized on the situations to loot. They pretended to be helping the owners of the burnt shops to evacuate their goods and never return them to the owners.

Goods like yams, beans, rice, oranges, potatoes, banana, mangoes and others were burnt into ashes while some traders lost their money and other belongings in the inferno. Some people even had their lunch from the inferno, as they eat the yams burnt by the fire as roasted yam.

During a recent visit, carpenters were seen re-building the traders’ make-shift market hence there was no road into the market. Only few vehicles were seen offloading fruits in the market unlike what it used to be.

When our correspondent sought explanation from the Nasarawa Urban Development Board, NUDB on the inferno, they refused to speak but an officer who spoke on anonymity told our correspondent that they were aware of the inferno but they are not responsible for the outbreak at the Orange market.

He disclosed that they only carried out removal of shanties and slums along the Abuja-Keffi expressway to make the area more decent. It would be recalled that the Nasarawa Urban Development Board, NUDB removed shanties along the road from the boundary between the State and the Federal Capital Territory, Mararaba down to Keffi.

However, there are mixed feelings concerning the demolition, while some people see it as a good move, some condemned the actions. Those who believe the action of the NUDB was wrong claimed that many people lost their goods to the demolition. They claimed that the NUDB did not notify them before carrying out the demolition.

The remains of the fruits destroyed by fire

Those who believe that the demolition is in the best interest of the people argued that before the demolition, Mararaba especially around the pedestrian bridge was a notorious place. Some victims who narrated their ordeals to this magazine said their bags, handsets and other valuables were snatched by hoodlums in their numbers.

Somebody confided in this magazine recently that the hoodlums after snatching people’s valuables, direct the victims to go and bail it with the sum of N2,000 from their chairman. He disclosed that his sister is a victim and has collected her phone from the hoodlums. To compound the issue, the hoodlums are alleged to be enjoying the protection of the Police. In one of our publications, our correspondent traced the hoodlums to their hideouts, which incidentally is very close to the Mararaba Police station.

Meanwhile, before the inferno, traders and consumers have expressed concern over the poor sanitary condition of the markets. The Orange market is an eyesore considering the calibre of people that patronise the market. Apart from food and fruit dealers who bring their items from neighbouring states like Nasarawa, Benue, Kogi, Niger and other parts of the country, the market serves as the suppliers for most of the hotels in Abuja and federal government agencies, including the State House Catering section.

The road leading to the market is not motorable and there is no drainage system hence the dirty water from the market stinks and smells. To worsen the matter, some traders urinate and defecate around the market while some hoodlums smoke Indian hemps openly in the market. Epidemic can easily be spread because of the health condition in the market. Beggars with different degrees of diseases are also not left out of the party as they are seen at every corner begging for arms.

Some traders said they faced a lot of sanitary challenges, especially during the rainy season. Sule Mohammed, a carrot seller, underscored the need to evacuate refuse on a regular basis. Mrs Sarah Eze, a garri seller, urged the managers of the market to improve the sanitary condition of the market. She disclosed that access to the market and shops posed a serious challenge whenever it rained. 

Chairman of the Fruits and Vegetable Traders Association of the Orange market, Alhaji Baba Ibrahim, said they are collaborating with the Nasarawa Urban Development Board, NUDB to clean the market. “The association is working with the Nasarawa Urban Development Board to make sure the market is kept clean, because we find it difficult to attract high patronage during rainy season.”

We gathered from a reliable source that the Nasarawa state government has acquired a bigger land to relocate the Orange market against speculations that the market will be moved to the Karu International Market. Our source told our correspondent that it is one of the reasons why they are not considering any social amenities in the Orange market for now. He claimed that the area is a residential area and because of the filling station around there, they are considering moving the market elsewhere.

Ibrahim also attested to the claim that the market would soon be relocated to its permanent site covering about seven hectares. The temporary site of the Orange Market presently sits on about three to four hectares of land. Ibrahim however urged the state government to provide the market with facilities such water, access road, public toilet, motor parking lots, security, sanitation amongst others.

Meanwhile, during a visit to the Karu International Market recently, our correspondent discovered that the market is undergoing serious renovation work. At the point of entry, you will be welcomed by the bushy and unkempt grasses at the gate. The Administration Block which is supposed to serve as the management office as at the press time has no roof and door but reconstruction works are going on.

The motor parking lots are being graded. New buildings are being erected while others are already being painted. As at press time, the officials on site refused to comment as they directed our correspondent to the Nasarawa State Investment Promotion Office. The Karu International market is almost adjacent the Orange market.