Govt demolishes market, hoodlums loot goods

Suspected hoodlums on Wednesday carted away goods estimated at over N150m after the Akwa Ibom State Government destroyed market stalls at Nung Oku community in the Ibesikpo/Asutan Local Government Area of the state.

It was learnt that traders fled to safety as soldiers and riot policemen pulled down stalls and set fire to tables, chairs and goods.

A lessee of livestock segment of the market, Alhaji Abdulsalami Bassey, said he hired the market for N10m for a period of two years, adding that he had barely spent two months when the market was destroyed.According to him, three truckloads of goods valued at N5m each, were delivered to him on Sunday, besides yams, tomatoes and other perishable goods.

He explained that the soldiers and the riot policemen did not give him any chance to salvage the wares before hoodlums plundered them.

The Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mr. Aniekan Umana, said he was not aware of the development.

He promised to investigate those behind the destruction.