By Sodiq Adelakun and Esther Olalekan
The traders at Sango market have reported that a certain group of unknown individuals visit the market on a daily basis.
It was gathered that they demand a minimum of N100 from each trader and stall owner, and those who refuse to comply have their goods or equipment confiscated.
This was disclosed in an interview with Nigerian NewsDirect on Tuesday.
One Mr Abubakar Musa, a trader, said, “Some men come here every day to collect money called ‘owo da,’ they come here every day to collect it.”
He added, “We have to pay this money even though we can’t identify these people, where they come from or who they work for.”
Mr Bright, another trader, said, “These men come here every day around evening starting from 4 pm to collect money from us.
”We have to pay for a ticket and still pay these men. We don’t know who they work for or where the money goes to.”
In addition to this, pedestrians along Sango underbridge have also reported frequent attacks and theft by unidentified boys.
The incidents usually occur early in the morning before 6am and late in the evening after 9pm.
A victim who wished to remain anonymous said, “On this fateful day, I was on my way to work when it happened. It was a few minutes to 6 in the morning. A man suddenly came from a dark area, grabbed me by the neck and demanded my belongings while holding a sharp object to my side, thankfully public drivers around there noticed and rescued me.”
The traders and pedestrians have called on the authorities to intervene and put an end to these criminal activities.
Another victim, Ms. Victoria, shared her harrowing experience, stating, “That day will forever be etched in my memory. I was heading to work early in the morning when two boys ambushed me from both sides. They brandished pocket knives and forcibly took all the money I had on me, along with my phone, causing me physical harm in the process.”
Residents of the Sango community have asserted that such incidents have been occurring for an extended period and are hopeful that the government will intervene and find a permanent solution to this issue.