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Gbemisola Oluwabusayo
2 months ago
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Group Tasks Sanwo-Olu On Demolition Of Owode Motor Spare Parts Market
Traders lack valid claims, given adequate notices, says LASBCA
The Centre for Human and Socio-economic Rights (CHSR), has called on the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation into the demolition of over 500 shops at the Owode Motor Spare Parts Market, Owode-Onirin.
Addressing the media at the market, the President of CHSR, Comrade Alex Omotehinse, who also pleaded with the Governor to conduct a full investigation to identify and prosecute those responsible for the illegal demolition of the traders shops, said the rule of law and the property right must be upheld, as enshrined in the constitution.
He said: “On Thursday, March 6, 2025, the men and officers of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), along with some police officers and hundred of thugs armed with various dangerous weapons invaded the Owode market with the aim of carrying out an enforcement of a certain judgement against a section of the market -Agbajoowo market that share a common boundary with the Owode motor spare parts market .
“It is a known fact that for some years, there has been a legal battle on ownership of the land where the Agbajoowo market was situated and there is no discrepancy on the boundary, but to our dismay, LASBCA as a government agency stormed our market in a gestapo manner with retinue of unofficial men to demolish more than 500 shops in a jiffy.
“The market comprises six zones. Each zone has over 200 shops with thousands of traders, whose Socio-economic lives depend on sales from this market on a daily basis.
“Sadly, as at the time of the so-called enforcement of the said judgement on Agbajoowo market by LASBCA, they trespassed and demolished over 400 shops in Zones M and 5 alone, with goods worth billions of naira demolished.” Reacting, LASBCA through its Director Public Affair Unit, Adu Ademuyiwa, said the traders were issued several notices to quit the land following a court judgement against them but they chose to ignore it.
The agency also stressed that the traders or their promoters do not have any document to lay claims to the land. But Omotehinse stressed that the Chairman of the market, Comrade Abiodun Hammed, who lost three shops to the illegal demolition, was also arrested and whisked away to the FCID Alagbon, where he was detained and later released on bail, with a stringent condition that he must not come close to the market for weeks or interfere in the market issue until he is told to do so.
“If truly the police from the FCID can make such a statement when they failed to arrest the non-state actors engaged by LASBCA to carry out this wicked act, then, it is unbecoming of those assigned to maintain law and order in the country.”
He added that the brazen act of land grabbing not only violates the fundamental property rights of the legitimate land owners, but also poses a significant threat to the economic stability of communities.
“The rule of law must be upheld, the property rights are enshrined in our constitution and must be protected, as illegal encroachment cannot be tolerated. The economic well-being of our community is paramount, the market plays a critical role in our local economy, and its disruption will have far-reaching consequences.
“As a group, we urge relevant government agencies meant for law enforcement to step up and do their constituted duty, so as to protect the traders to avoid being thrown into the streets. A thorough and full investigation must be conducted to identify and prosecute those responsible for the illegal demolition of Owode motor spare parts traders shop,” he said.
Omotehinse appealed to the state government to engage the market stakeholders in a sustainable solution that respects the rule of law and protects the interests of all the parties.
Source The Guardian
