“We Run or We Starve”: Abuja’s Street Vendors Battle Extortion, Violence to Survive
🚨 Survival in the Shadows: Inside Abuja’s Underground Vendor War Beneath Abuja’s glittering skyline, a daily guerrilla war rages. Street vendors—hawking sachet water, phone accessories, and fruit—dodge brutal raids, pay protection bribes, and risk everything to feed their families. Their crime? Trying to survive in a city designed to erase them. 📌 Voices from the Frontlines 1. "They Chase Us Like Animals" – Musa, 32 (Phone Accessories, Berger Junction) Tactic: "Ready-to-run" with goods balanced on head Raids: "Task forces scream ‘Pack your things!’ If you’re slow, they slap you. Pay ₦5,000 or lose your livelihood." Losses: 6 buckets of goods confiscated in 2023 2. "Pay or Your Stall Burns" – Daniel, 41 (Fruit Seller, Gudu Market) Extortion: "Weekly ‘settlement’ of ₦2,000–₦5,000 to task force ‘unions’" Inside Tip: "If you’ve paid, they whisper ‘They’re coming—hide!’" 3. "They Demand More Than Money" – Aisha, 27 (Sachet Water Hawker, Wuse) Gender Threat: "Men take our goods… some want favours. My friend […]
