Traders at the Mowe/Ofada Market in Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State have staged a protest over the sudden demolition of their market by state government officials, claiming the operation was carried out without any prior notice.
The affected traders said the demolition took place around 2am on Friday, well before normal business activities begin, resulting in the destruction of goods and property worth over N500 million.
Speaking to journalists at the site of the demolished market, trader Mrs. Kabira Ajiboye expressed shock at the lack of official communication or demolition notice.
“There was no notice served on us before the demolition. In 2023, officials from the ministry came here during the local government election period, but after we informed them that we paid our rents to the local government, they left without demolishing anything,” she recalled.
Ajiboye lamented that traders arrived in the morning to find their shops completely destroyed, with armed policemen already securing the area.
“At least, they should have shown compassion by allowing traders to remove their goods before demolishing the structures. Many of us survive solely from these businesses,” she said.
The traders accused the government of failing to consider the severe economic hardship the action would cause, especially amid current financial difficulties facing many Nigerians.
Several traders reportedly took loans to stock their shops and sustain their businesses, leaving them now stranded and uncertain about their future.
Mrs. Ajiboye appealed to Governor Dapo Abiodun to intervene urgently by providing an alternative location for the displaced traders to relocate and resume their businesses.
Attempts by Daily Post to get a reaction from the Ogun State Commissioner for Urban and Physical Planning, Tunji Odunlami, were unsuccessful as calls to his phone went unanswered and text/WhatsApp messages were not replied to as at the time of filing the report.
The incident has sparked outrage among the affected business owners, who depend entirely on the market for their livelihood.
Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
No comments
Post a Comment
Kindly drop a comment below.
(Comments are moderated. Clean comments will be approved immediately)
Advert Enquires - Reach out to us at NigerianEye@gmail.com