Traders at the Owode-Onirin Motor Spare Parts Market in Lagos have accused the Lagos State Government of orchestrating the demolition of their stalls, rejecting claims by the police that the exercise was carried out by land grabbers.
At a press conference on Wednesday, market leaders described the January 28 demolition as a coordinated state-backed operation, alleging the involvement of multiple government agencies and security forces.
The traders insisted that the action marked a dramatic end to decades of relative peace at the market, which they said had existed for more than 60 years.
Market Chairman, Mr Abiodun Hameed, challenged the police narrative, stating that the market was formally relocated to its present location in 1979 by a former governor and has been operating lawfully since then.
He said traders had consistently paid taxes and levies to the state government.
According to Hameed, the land allocation was recently reaffirmed with a Certificate of Occupancy dated August 1, 2024.
“We are law-abiding citizens. This was not a rogue operation. It was a massive, coordinated exercise,” he said.
The traders alleged that the demolition involved officials of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), the State Task Force, the Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) unit, and the Nigerian Army, alongside hundreds of armed police officers.
They further claimed that following the demolition, an engineer identified as Akeem Ariori arrived at the site with armed individuals to secure the area, leading to violent clashes.
The traders alleged that six people lost their lives during the unrest and expressed outrage that, according to them, no government official had publicly condemned the killings or responded to their protests at the Lagos State House of Assembly.
However, Engr. Ariori, through his lawyer, Mr Oluwasegun Owolabi, denied the allegations and dismissed claims that his client is a land grabber.
Speaking on February 3, Owolabi said the disputed land belongs to the Olowu family, which he said has secured multiple court judgments affirming ownership.
Owolabi disclosed that a stakeholders’ meeting convened by the Attorney-General of Lagos State, Mr Lawal Pedro (SAN), allegedly resolved that the land be shared on a 60–40 basis between the Olowu family and the Agboyi-Ketu Local Council Development Area (LCDA).
He added that the Attorney-General had also clarified that the allocation letters held by the traders do not amount to legal ownership of the land.
While disputing the traders’ claim of six fatalities, Owolabi said three deaths were recorded during the violence, stressing that his client was not present at the scene.
“Engr. Ariori is not a land grabber. He is in possession of valid court judgments and has never taken the law into his hands,” Owolabi said.
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