By Joseph Asegba, Yola
The Adamawa State Government has raised alarm over the activities of a suspected fraudster who allegedly collected more than N2.3 million from traders by falsely promising to secure shop allocations at the recently commissioned Modibbo Adama Ultra-Modern Market in Yola.
The Commissioner for Commerce, Trade and Industry, Mr. Joab H. Salma, disclosed this while briefing journalists in Yola on the irregularities and alleged manipulation that marred the market allocation process.
Salma said the government discovered that a suspect exploited traders by collecting large sums of money with false assurances of influencing the allocation process before disappearing.
“One suspect allegedly collected over N2.3 million by falsely promising to influence shop allocations before disappearing,” the commissioner said, warning members of the public to make all payments only through official government channels.
He explained that the government had fulfilled its promise to rebuild the market following repeated fire outbreaks.
To ensure fairness, traders’ associations were directed to submit the names of traders who lost their shops in the fires.
According to him, the initial list contained more than 1,000 names—far exceeding the capacity of the reconstructed market.
A screening exercise was therefore conducted, reducing the number of verified beneficiaries to 303.
Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri subsequently approved 47 additional shops, bringing the total allocations to 350.
Despite the exercise, protests erupted as some genuine traders alleged they were excluded from the allocation.
Salma attributed the unrest to the manipulation of the verified list by some union officials, who allegedly removed the names of legitimate traders and replaced them with individuals who had never operated in the market.
Investigations uncovered several irregularities, including beneficiaries who admitted they had never traded at the market but were promised shops after submitting their names.
The probe also revealed cases involving deceased persons and impersonators claiming ownership of shops.
To address the complaints, the Ministry has constituted a verification committee headed by the Permanent Secretary to review petitions from affected traders and identify those wrongly excluded.
The commissioner assured traders that every genuine shop owner would receive their rightful allocation once the verification exercise is completed.
He also warned that any union leader found to have acquired more than two shops would forfeit the excess, which would be reallocated to verified traders.
Salma dismissed claims that traders who paid the required 10 percent initial deposit were denied shops, explaining that the government had introduced a transparent allocation process involving payments through the Adamawa State Board of Internal Revenue, electronic profiling, and digital data capture to eliminate multiple allocations, illegal transfers, and speculative sales.
He reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to protecting Governor Fintiri’s vision of a transparent and commercially viable market, adding that the verification exercise is expected to be completed within one to two weeks.
Salma noted that lessons learned from the exercise would strengthen future market allocation processes across the state.
