Amigo Supermarket, Wonderland open for business

The two businesses were shut by the SSS.

Amigo Supermarket, which was closed for seven months while its owner was prosecuted for terrorism charges, has been re-opened.

The supermarket, one of Abuja’s busiest, re-opened for full commercial activities on Monday, officials said.

Wonderland Amusement Park, Abuja, also owned by Mustapha Fawaz, has also been re-opened and is expected to commence full activities during the Yuletide season.

Both businesses were re-opened after an Abuja court freed Mr. Fawaz of the charges brought against him by the Department of State Security Service, SSS.

Although it took the SSS almost two weeks to obey the court judgment and allow the re-opening of the businesses, buyers were seen shopping happily when PREMIUM TIMES visited the supermarket with many declaring their joy that it had been re-opened.

Amigo and Wonderland were shut down on May 31 after Mr. Fawaz and two other Lebanese, Tahal Roda and Abdullah Thani, were arrested after a large cache of arms was found by security officers in a residence in Kano. The house was believed to be owned by the three men.

The men were subsequently detained and tried for illegal arms importation and terrorism by the SSS at the Federal High Court, Abuja.

One of them, Mr. Roda, admitted being a resident of the compound in Kano where the arms were discovered and also confessed that he was drafted to service the arms on the instruction of the owner of the building, Abdulhassan Tahir, who is at large.

In his judgement, Justice Adeniyi Ademola on November 29 found Mr. Roda guilty of the charges and sentenced him to life imprisonment.

He, however, freed the other two Lebanese; saying the state could not prove the charges against them.

One of the shoppers at Amigo, who identified herself as Mrs. Igwe, said she missed shopping at the reopened supermarket.

“I missed doing my shopping here, after all the time wasted they were finally vindicated by the court,” the mother of three children told PREMIUM TIMES. “It’s really a good thing. I’m glad to have them back, I’ve missed the all stuff they have here and their very reasonable prices.”

She also said she would take her children to Wonderland Amusement park once everything is put in place and ready for use.

“Wonderland, my children have also missed that place. The oldest amongst them; he’s eight years old has been asking me; ‘mummy when will they open Wonderland again for us?’ My dear, at a point I ran out of answers. So I’m really glad they are back,” she said.

In re-opening for business, the supermarket also gives small gift items like key holders that read ‘I love Amigo’ to customers. The attendants at the supermarket also said they are optimistic that discount sales would be introduced during the Christmas week.

“I thank God that at last everything has come to an end, we are back in business. Insha Allah there will be plenty discounts and goodies for the Christmas,” an attendant said, declining to provide his name.

None of the officials at the supermarket was willing to talk on record to PREMIUM TIMES, with all of them saying the management of the supermarket were not around during the visit.