The Adamawa State Government has launched an investigation into an alleged ₦2.3 million fraud involving the allocation of shops at the newly rebuilt Modibbo Adama Ultra Modern Market in Yola.
The government said a suspected fraudster allegedly collected more than ₦2.3 million from traders after claiming to have the ability to influence shop allocations, before disappearing with the money.
The state Commissioner for Commerce, Trade and Industry, Joab Salma, disclosed the development on Tuesday in Yola, while briefing journalists on the ongoing investigation into the matter.
Salma advised members of the public to make payments only through approved government channels, warning traders against dealing with individuals who claim to have influence over the allocation process.
He explained that the issue emerged after the government directed traders’ associations to submit names of individuals who lost shops during previous fire incidents at the market.
According to him, the initial list submitted by the associations contained more than 1,000 names, which exceeded the number of available shops at the reconstructed market.
He said a screening exercise was subsequently conducted, reducing the number of verified traders to 303, while Governor Ahmad Fintiri approved an additional 47 spaces, bringing the total number of allocated shops to 350.
The commissioner, however, said complaints persisted after some traders alleged that the verified list had been manipulated by certain union officials, resulting in the removal of genuine traders and the inclusion of individuals who never operated at the market.
He said investigations revealed that some beneficiaries admitted they had never traded at the market but were promised shops after submitting their names, while other cases involved deceased persons and individuals impersonating legitimate shop owners.
“The ministry has constituted a verification committee, headed by the permanent secretary, to review petitions from affected traders and identify genuine beneficiaries,” Salma said.
He assured traders that anyone found to have been unfairly excluded would be allocated a shop after the two-week verification exercise.
Salma said the government had introduced measures to ensure transparency in the allocation process, including payments through the Adamawa State Board of Internal Revenue, electronic profiling and digital data capture.
He added that the measures were aimed at preventing multiple allocations, illegal transfers and speculative sales of shops, while ensuring that genuine traders benefit from the rebuilt market.
The commissioner reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to protecting the government’s vision of creating a transparent and commercially viable market.
The Modibbo Adama Ultra Modern Market was rebuilt by the administration of Governor Fintiri following repeated fire incidents that affected the facility.