Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has arrested 47 Point of Sale ( POS) agents for hanging around on the streets and other unapproved places within the city.
Last week, the FCTA had warned that indiscriminate activities of POS operators, especially on the streets and noncommercial areas will no longer be condoned.
It had also disclosed that there were intelligence reports and complaints from residents that strange people were roaming about some neighbourhoods, pretending to be POS operators.
The senior special assistant to the FCT minister on Monitoring, Inspection, and Enforcement, Ikharo Attah who addressed the violators at the premises of Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) Area 3, after the arrest, said the minister has no plan to stop POS business, but concerned about security issues surrounding it. Attah stated that the arrested violators may face a mobile court as they have violated some environmental laws, by operating their businesses in unapproved places.
He explained to them that the POS business was not illegal, but operating outside commercial zones and indiscriminately on the streets was an offence.
“Reports on the arrested violators would go to the Minister, to determine and see if the operators comply with the rules of the city which would not give criminals the shield to disguise as POS operators,” he said.
Also, the assistant director of Enforcement at AEPB, Kaka Bello noted that environmental laws forbid business activities in residential areas and on the streets.
Bello said the AEPB Enforcement team was prepared to give effect to the restrictions on the POS operations, that those who operate at commercial places will have no issue with the team, but violators of the restrictions will be made to face the wrath of the law.
One of the arrested violators, Solomon Wari and a civil servant said he was arrested while he was in front of his business centre within a residential area in Wuse zone 6.
While he vowed to desist from operating on the streets, he noted that he was into the business to support his family.
