The Nasarawa State Government has directed roadside traders in Karu to immediately relocate to the Muhammadu Buhari International Market, warning that those who continue to operate along the Mararaba/Karu axis will face arrest and prosecution. Yakubu Haruna, General Manager of the Greater Karu Development Control Agency (GKADCA), stated on Tuesday that authorities would no longer tolerate traders blocking road corridors, particularly around the ongoing flyover construction. He said previous efforts to engage traders through dialogue had failed, leaving enforcement as the only option. Haruna confirmed that mobile courts would be used to prosecute offenders, stressing that the flyover project, initiated by Governor Abdullahi Sule, was designed to ease traffic congestion and required full compliance from traders. According to Haruna, some traders have already moved into the designated market, but others remain defiant despite repeated warnings. The state and local government have cited existing environmental and market regulations that prohibit illegal trading along roadsides. Haruna reiterated that once construction of the flyover is complete, all trading activities must be confined within the approved market premises. He urged traders to support the government's development agenda by vacating the roads and utilising the provided facility.
A government that builds a flyover to reduce congestion cannot simultaneously allow traders to occupy the same space it is trying to clear. The threat of mobile courts suggests enforcement has replaced engagement, exposing the limits of voluntary compliance. If the market provided for traders remains underutilized, the state's strategy risks being seen as punitive rather than developmental. The success of the project now depends not just on arrests, but on whether the designated market offers real value to those forced to move.
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