By Harry Awurumibe, Editor, Abuja Bureau
The economic hardship Nigerians are going through at the moment has taken a new dimension as petty thieves have invaded the markets in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, carting away unsuspecting shoppers’ goods with reckless abandon.
Prompt News investigations revealed that no day passes in Abuja metropolis without the victims lamenting about the rising activities of petty thieves who have dispossessed them of the valued goods at different areas of the city.
For example, a victim, Mrs. Becky Adelowo (not real name), narrated how her jute bag full of groceries she bought at the popular Kabusa village market in the Lokogoma area of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) on Saturday, October 7, 2023 was stolen under her nose when she kept the shopping bag down while trying to buy some fruits by the road side.
After paying for the fruits, Mrs. Adelowo bent down to lift the heavy shopping bag but it was nowhere to be found, she raised alarm but all efforts to recover the shopping bag with its contents proved abortive as she headed home empty-handed.
Another victim, Mrs. Annabel Solomon lost the items she bought for her family at the same Kabusa village market, Abuja two weeks ago after the wheelbarrow pusher she hired to help her carry the goods she bought to her car outrun her and disappeared into the crowd.
According to the confused victim who was seen running helter skelter in the market, the goods carted away by the petty thief include rice, garri, yam tubers, condiments, vegetables, palm oil, potatoes, among others.
In the same vein, Hajia Salamatu Usman also lost her shopping bag containing food items at the ever-busy Wuse main market late last month after the bag was stolen from under the table of her customer where she dropped it momentarily to buy other household needs.
She also raised alarm and search party combed everywhere but she could recover the missing bag, a situation that left her fuming and cursing.
An eyewitness, Mrs. Ifeoma Michael-Oti confirmed that the activities of petty thieves have made life unbearable for housewives who throng the markets in FCT especially at weekends to shop for their families.
She pointed out that these petty thieves often pretend to be load carriers or cart pushers and when anyone engages them to carry the shopping bags or goods, they will run away with the goods if the owner fails to give them very close marking.
“I must confirm that I have on two occasions seen victims of petty thieves running from pillar to post looking for the wheelbarrow pushers who disappeared with their goods.
“I also saw another woman complaining that the shopping bag she dropped beside her to buy carrots on her way out of Kabusa village market was stolen under her nose. This is what is happening in markets in Abuja”, Mrs. Michael-Oti lamented.
A trader at Garki main market who pleaded anonymity revealed that the activities of petty thieves have assumed a higher proportion with shoppers bearing the brunt of the new trend. READ ALSO:
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He disclosed that before now, it was cases of pickpockets in the markets that are rampant but with the economic downturn, many people have now been thrown into multi-dimensional poverty line with no respite at sight.
The trader argued that the situation will get worse if the economic hardship continues unabated, pointing out that it may get to a situation where soup pots will be missing from homes.
He acknowledged that times are hard and advised shoppers to be careful when they go out for shopping and make sure not to allow the cart pushers to go faster than the goods owner.
