Why we intervened in Wuye market crisis —Police

The FCT Police Command said its intervention in the crisis among the stakeholders of the Wuye Market in Abuja was to allow peace to reign and groups involved in the crises to go about their lawful businesses and see to the re-opening of the said market for the economic good of all the parties.

The police said: “It is factual to state that the Command’s intervention was to restore peace and forestall the breakdown of law and order in the market.

The Command, in a statement, said that it did not act in disobedience to any court order as there was no court order received by the Command stopping the police from intervening in the market to maintain peace, law and order.

It lamented what it described as campaign of calumny sponsored in the media by a group called Association of Wuye Ultra-Modern Market Allottees (AWUMMA) to cast aspersion on the effort of FCT Police Command in ensuring sustainable peace, law and order in Wuye Ultra-Modern Market and other areas in the Federal Capital Territory.

It said: “The Command is conscious of the disagreement among factions in the market that can lead to breach of the peace, and that is why the Commissioner of Police, FCT, on Saturday 30th July, 2016, held a meeting with all stakeholders at the  Command Headquarters and which was attended by the Developer, FCDA market managers, Abuja Investment Company and the allotees.

“However, Association of Wuye Ultra-Modern Market Allottees (AWUMMA) neither attended the meeting nor send a representative.

“Suffice it to say that the Police had initially partially allowed Association of Wuye Ultra-Modern Market Allottees (AWUMMA) into the market, but when the clear facts emerged after the Saturday stakeholders meeting that the true occupants certified by the Developer, FCDA market Managers, Abuja Investment Company and the  allotees (the true allotees with authentic documents), were allowed into the market.