Traders at Lagos State’s Owode-Onirin Motor Spare Parts Market have appealed to the Federal Government to step in and conduct a thorough investigation into the demolition of their market, which they claimed was the result of a high-level conspiracy by the Lagos State Government.
In response to remarks made by Lagos State Commissioner of Police CP Olohunwa Ishola during his visit to the market on January 28, during which the demolition was allegedly attributed to the actions of land grabbers, the appeal was made on Wednesday during a media briefing organized by the traders.
Abiodun Akeem Ariori vehemently denied allegations that he was involved in land grabbing during the briefing, claiming to be a law-abiding citizen and pushing the police commissioner to provide any proof that he was involved.
Abiodun Hameed, a member of the market committee speaking on behalf of the traders, claimed that the description of the incident as the result of land grabbers did not match the information and records that the traders had access to.
He insisted that the demolition was an operation carried out by Lagos State Government officials rather than a criminal crime by private individuals.
Hameed clarified that the Owode-Onirin Motor Spare Parts Market had been in operation for more than 60 years when a former Lagos State governor formally moved it to its current site in 1979 after the vendors’ old property was purchased for public use.
He claims that market vendors have continuously conducted themselves in a nonviolent manner and obeyed with laws, such as paying taxes and levies to authorized government representatives.
According to Hameed, “we have remained law-abiding citizens, conducting our trading activities in a peaceful manner and paying all dues and taxes to government agents.”
Additionally, he claimed that during Dele Osinowo’s time as Chairman of the Agboyi-Ketu Local Council Development Area, or LCDA, attempts to demolish the market started approximately two years ago, which prompted the traders to start the process of obtaining official ownership documentation for the land.
Numerous state agencies, including the Lagos State Task Force, the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), the Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI), Nigerian Army and police personnel, and a significant number of armed security personnel were allegedly involved in the demolition exercise, according to the traders.
They stated that six people were killed in an attack on traders after Ariori allegedly showed up at the scene with armed people to secure the area following the destruction.
The traders claimed that despite their repeated nonviolent demonstrations to the Lagos State House of Assembly, no government official had officially denounced the purported killings.
As a result, they called on the Federal Government to intervene in order to safeguard their sources of income, guarantee an unbiased inquiry into the demolition and purported murders, and permit them to carry on with their lawful commercial operations without fear of retaliation.
