Traders at the Owode Onirin Motor Spare Parts Market in Lagos State have appealed to the Federal Government to intervene and conduct a thorough investigation into the demolition of their market, which they alleged was deliberately carried out by the Lagos State Government.
The traders described the demolition as a coordinated action driven by what they termed a high level conspiracy, insisting that the destruction of the market has left thousands of traders without a source of livelihood.
The appeal was made on Wednesday during a media briefing organised by the traders to address comments attributed to the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Olohunwa Ishola, during his visit to the market on January 28. During the visit, the demolition was reportedly linked to the activities of land grabbers.
At the briefing, Abiodun Akeem Ariori strongly denied any involvement in land grabbing. He described himself as a law abiding citizen and challenged the police commissioner to present evidence linking him to such activities.
Speaking on behalf of the traders, a member of the market committee, Abiodun Hameed, dismissed claims that the demolition was the work of land grabbers, saying such explanations did not align with facts and documents in the possession of the traders.
Hameed maintained that the demolition was not a criminal act carried out by private individuals but an operation executed by agencies of the Lagos State Government.
He explained that the Owode Onirin Motor Spare Parts Market has existed for more than six decades and was officially relocated to its current location in 1979 by a former Lagos State governor after the traders’ previous site was acquired for public use.
According to him, traders in the market have operated peacefully over the years and have complied with government regulations, including the payment of taxes and levies to authorised government agents.
Hameed stated that the traders have consistently remained law abiding, conducting their businesses without incident while fulfilling all financial obligations to the government.
He further alleged that attempts to demolish the market began about two years ago during the tenure of Dele Osinowo as Chairman of the Agboyi Ketu Local Council Development Area, prompting traders to initiate processes to secure formal ownership documents for the land.
The traders also alleged that the demolition involved several state agencies, including the Lagos State Building Control Agency, the Lagos State Task Force, the Kick Against Indiscipline, as well as operatives of the Nigerian Army and the Police, with a heavy presence of armed security personnel.
They claimed that following the demolition, Ariori allegedly arrived at the site with armed individuals to secure the land, adding that an attack on traders during the incident reportedly led to the death of six persons.
The traders expressed concern that no government official has publicly condemned the alleged killings. They also said that repeated peaceful protests to the Lagos State House of Assembly have failed to attract any official response.
They therefore called on the Federal Government to intervene by protecting their means of livelihood, ensuring an impartial investigation into the demolition and alleged deaths, and allowing them to continue their legitimate business activities without intimidation.
0 Comments