Lamentations over extortion of Abuja traders

Petty traders in the heart of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have cried out over the alleged extortionate activities of the task force deployed by the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) to checkmate hawking and street trading in the city. The traders alleged that they were now at the mercy of these task force officials who torment and extort money from them on daily basis.

The task force, made up of security personnel drawn from the Nigeria Army, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps and Nigeria Police, are usually heavily armed and unleash terror on these traders. Our correspondent reliably gathered that, the AEPB officials incurred the wrath of these traders because of their mode of operation and exploitative tendencies.

Mama Rhoda, one of the traders who sells roasted yam by the road side, told Inside Abuja that the task force had ruined many businesses, particularly petty trading, because of harrassment and extortion.

“These people in their own cunning ways are now working as tax collectors and have turned all the traders in Abuja to their ATM machine. I am not afraid of task force anymore.

Petty traders in the heart of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have cried out over the alleged extortionate activities of the task force deployed by the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) to checkmate hawking and street trading in the city. The traders alleged that they were now at the mercy of these task force officials who torment and extort money from them on daily basis.

The task force, made up of security personnel drawn from the Nigeria Army, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps and Nigeria Police, are usually heavily armed and unleash terror on these traders. Our correspondent reliably gathered that, the AEPB officials incurred the wrath of these traders because of their mode of operation and exploitative tendencies.

Mama Rhoda, one of the traders who sells roasted yam by the road side, told Inside Abuja that the task force had ruined many businesses, particularly petty trading, because of harrassment and extortion.

“These people in their own cunning ways are now working as tax collectors and have turned all the traders in Abuja to their ATM machine. I am not afraid of task force anymore.

My fear and my worries is that I am no longer making profits, if I sell my roasted yam,” she said. Mallam Abdul Mohammed, a ‘Suya seller’ who operates in Wuse Zone 6 , narrated how much he had lost to the task force. According to him, they kept coming each week despite the huge money they collected previously as permit fees. “I lost close to N24,000 monthly to these men.

They forcibly seize the meat, ate it, took me to a corner before releasing me after collecting some money raging from N4,000 to N5,000 without receipt, “he said. Also, narrating his predicament, Aminu, a 25-year old man from Kano currently selling fruits in the Maitama District, said that he was always ready to pay any amount of money the AEPB officials would charge him rather than stop his business.

“For me to be selling fruits here, I must settle the officials, both the errand ones and their Ogas and after eating my fruits without paying. If I refuse to succumb to their demands, they will go away with my products and allow them perish away. “So, having known that, we have no choice than to dance to their tune. All the profits that we supposed to made are being given to AEPB officials week in, week out,” he said.

As for Aisha Mohammed, who sells food at Wuse Zone 7, the task force had become a real thorn in the flesh of most traders in the city because of the harassment they give and the extortion. “The extortion is getting out of hands, but I have no choice than to comply with AEPB officials for me to be selling the food. “I can tell you that I paid an average of N5,000 in a week to settle AEPB officials, but I am not bordered in as much they allow me to continue with my sales. “If I join sex workers, they will complain. If I steal, they will say  Aisha is a bad woman.

I am selling food, they are extorting money from me and not only me, other petty traders complain the same,” Aisha said.

Malam Suleiman Dairu, who sells beverages and other assorted drinks accused officials of AEPB of being insensitive to the plight of the traders. He lamented that the economic challenges confronting Nigerians was enough and urged the Federal Capital Territory Authority (FCTA) to intervene by restraining the task force from harassing traders, who are struggling to make ends meet. “We are in pains; we cannot continue to live like refugees in our own country,” he said.

Inside Abuja investigations revealed that the task force was originally constituted to assist the AEPB combat the menace of hawking and street trading but its activities later became controversial as it appears to had derailed from its mission.

It was gathered that , the Abuja Environmental Protection Board, (AEPB), officials have developed an elaborate scheme involving some willing accomplices in the  security agencies to squeeze traders of money on daily basis for upward remittances to senior officials in these agencies.

The money, according to the traders, are collected on daily basis by two officials often dressed in blue T-shirts emblazoned with ‘AEPB’, over jeans trousers. One of the traders, a food vendor, who asked not to be mentioned in name, alleged that she parted with N2, 000 to the men of the agency on a daily basis. Three other food sellers corroborated the claim. However, many others told our correspondent that hawkers especially on pedestrian bridges pay N500 on daily basis. “The money is collected by our leaders at every point. That is how the officials want it

We cannot refuse because we need to sell and get money to feed our families,” said one of the leaders of the traders at Gwarimpa. The source further added that most of the traders are finding it extremely difficult to make ends meet because of the economic recession in Nigeria.

“This is why we are begging AEPB to desist from extorting monies from those who are trying to survive through hard work,” the source added. Similarly, Mrs Nkechi Edward, a food vendor, said the Task Force officials were usually very ruthless during their operations.

“None of these AEPB staff shows mercy at all. When they come like this and you don’t have money to give them, they will carry your items away. Most times, they eat them. This has happened to me on many occasions. It appears that they don’t understand the prevailing economic realities,” she said.

AEPB Spokesperson, Mr. Muktari Ibrahim, could not be reached to respond to the allegations as calls to his mobile phone reported the line was switched off. It could be recalled that the same AEPB Task Force was recently involved in a physical fracas with officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps in Abuja. The crisis followed an attempt by men of the task force to enforce a court order on the FRSC for alleged violation of some environmental rules in the city.