Some traders affected by the ongoing
demolition of Agboju Market in Festac
Town, Lagos, have blamed market leaders
for “insincerity” over the exercise.
Bulldozers moved in on Friday and began
pulling down the structures in the market
just as the traders started displaying their
goods for sale.
Some of the affected traders said the issue
of the demolition had been ongoing
between the state government and the
traders.
They, however, expressed shock over the
exercise which occurred before the seven-
day quit notice issued them expired.
Mr. Uzo Thomas, trader, said they assumed
the demolition would be done on Monday
after the notice elapsed on Sunday.
“To our surprise, Friday morning, we were
displaying our goods, we just started
hearing, ‘pack, pack,’ we thought it was a
joke.
“Before we knew it, bulldozers started
bringing everything down,” he said.
Also, Mrs Anulika Chukwu, trader, said last
Thursday, officials of Amuwo Odofin Local
Government came to warn the traders not
to sell on the walk ways, which they
complied with.
“If we had known beforehand, I wouldn’t
have spent the money I had yesterday
buying goods for sale,” she lamented.
However, some other traders said that the
land where the market was situated was a
buffer zone, with pipelines running
underneath and electric cables overhead.
Mr Olawale Ashakaba, trader, said: “This is
a Federal Government property, there are
pipelines running under here.
“I believe there’s something our leaders
are not telling us,” he said.
Another trader, Mrs Blessing Ogomchi,
said: “Nobody knows exactly what is
going on or what is going to happen.
“The leaders haven’t even called a meeting
to tell traders what is going on.
“If indeed there’s going to be a new
market, how long will it take to be
completed; how many months or years?”
The Iyaloja General of Amuwo Market, Mrs
Osinatu Adebayo, refuted the allegations,
saying there was no foul play.
“No. No, it’s not true.
“The problem is that the market is too
rough and the state government called us
to say they want to rebuild it to a modern
market.
“They would have finished building it but
we’ve been delaying and begging for
more time, ‘please allow us to sell for
Christmas’ or ‘please let us sell for Easter’.
According to her, buying and selling will
continue as usual, once the site has been
cleared.
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