Lagos seals computer village

Mansur Oladunjoye

Lagos state government again on Tuesday sealed up the popular computer village and the spare parts shops at first gate in Ikeja local government area of the state for flouting environmental law and Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) provisions.




http://odili.net/news/source/2009/jun/18/705.html


Daily Champion gathered that the officials of the state Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development in the company of armed mobile Policemen arrived computer village in the morning, ordering the traders to immediately leave the market.

Our reporter reliably learnt that the armed Policemen freely used horsewhips on the recalcitrant traders especially the youths who attempted to prevent them from carrying out the order allegedly approved by Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos.

When they eventually complied, Daily Champion was told that the traders who had already displayed their wares for sale were forced to take refuge at the Awolowo and medical roads and other adjoining streets from where they hawked their goods.

This, however, affected the free-flow of traffic as motorists, commuters and passers-by struggled for roads that were taken over by the displaced traders.

Confirming the incident, the Commissioner for Iinformation and Strategy, Opeyemi Bamidele, who was at the time in Makurdi, Benue State told our reporter on phone that the state government had no alternative than to seal the two markets.

According to him, the traders have been served with ceaseless warnings on their poor attitude to environmental sanitation, saying, "The seal off was as a result of non-compliance with environmental laws and non-compliance with the provision of the Certificate of Occupancy and conditions of allocation." Opeyemi also said:

"Like I said before, we will not compromise for any reason on the need to comply with the environmental protection law.

The market leadership need to link the ministry of physical planning and urban development especially on the matter affecting the change use."

Lagos state govt is gradually turning into a bully.

Aloy.Emeka:

Lagos state govt is gradually turning into a bully.

you can say that again.

Aloy.Emeka:

Lagos state govt is gradually turning into a bully.

Assuming the allegations are true, what would you advise the government to do?

;d ;d ;d

biina:

Assuming the allegations are true, what would you advise the government to do?

Our reporter reliably learnt that the armed Policemen freely used horsewhips on the recalcitrant traders especially the youths who attempted to prevent them from carrying out the order allegedly approved by Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos.

Is that a civilized and best way to close down a market?. All they need to do is to come out early in the morning before people open their shops and put it on the lockdown. Why do we extol violence in Nigeria?

Aloy.Emeka:

Is that a civilized and best way to close down a market?. All they need to do is to come out early in the morning before people open their shops and put it on the lockdown. Why do we extol violence in Nigeria?

so the police is in the wrong for trying to do their jobs, and not the recalcitrant traders who exhibited a lack of respect for the law and law enforcement officers.
Rather you want the policemen to work at odd hours simply to accommodate some unruly people 
The real question is why do you extol unruly behavior and encourage disregard for the role of law?

The policemen were not said to be indiscriminately whipping everybody, but only those that failed to comply. Even in developed countries, policemen use force on people that resist a directive (or what do you think batons and tazers were made for? )

Aloy.Emeka:

Is that a civilized and best way to close down a market?. All they need to do is to come out early in the morning before people open their shops and put it on the lockdown. Why do we extol violence in Nigeria?

Surely you are not criticizing the armed police men of your beloved nation? Nah. . . . Never.

so the police is in the wrong for trying to do their jobs, and not the recalcitrant traders who exhibited a lack of respect for the law and law enforcement officers.
Rather you want the policemen to work at odd hours simply to accommodate some unruly people  
The real question is why do you extol unruly behavior and encourage disregard for the role of law?

The policemen were not said to be indiscriminately whipping everybody, but only those that failed to comply. Even in developed countries, policemen use force on people that resist a directive (or what do you think batons and tazers were made for? )

In a civilized society, the best way to deal with issues like this is not by surrounding a crowd and tazing them. What if the mob turns against the police, you'll have the same thing that happened in Iran days ago?. It's a crowd and I know the police more than you. A lady i know got hurt by the running crowd and she only went there to shop. We should do away with this barbaric mentality and embrace civilization. The police works 24 hours and can easily block that area by 6am, that way there will be no crowd. It will also be appropriate for them to announce it through the media and in the market 24 hours to the closure. Common, it's not as if they were trying to close in on a wanted fugitive, so, why destroy lives and properties just because you want to enforce environmental law?


Don't you know that all those people that own shops in Peckham and Manhattan violate environmental regulations and some fail to pay the fines as ordered. Does the American or British  police use the SWAT team to raid the area because of the violators irrespective of tourists and shoppers or do they quietly close the shops?. The Nigerian police did this because they have weapons and know they can do anything to civilians and get away with it. The more Nigerians absorb inhuman treatment like this, the more they continue to do it. If people like you come online to support it, what else can i say?. you may never know the day a relation of yours or you will be manhandled by them. If Fashola ordered this raid, he failed on this one, hooooooooHaaaaaaaaaa.

Aloy.Emeka:

In a civilized society, the best way to deal with issues like this is not by surrounding a crowd and tazing them. What if the mob turns against the police, you'll have the same thing that happened in Iran days ago?. It's a crowd and I know the police more than you. A lady i know got hurt by the running crowd and she only went there to shop. We should do away with this barbaric mentality and embrace civilization. The police works 24 hours and can easily block that area by 6am, that way there will be no crowd. It will also be appropriate for them to announce it through the media and in the market 24 hours to the closure. Common, it's not as if they were trying to close in on a wanted fugitive, so, why destroy lives and properties just because you want to enforce environmental law?


Don't you know that all those people that own shops in Peckham and Manhattan violate environmental regulations and some fail to pay the fines as ordered. Does the American or British  police use the SWAT team to raid the area because of the violators irrespective of tourists and shoppers or do they quietly close the shops?. The Nigerian police did this because they have weapons and know they can do anything to civilians and get away with it. The more Nigerians absorb inhuman treatment like this, the more they continue to do it. If people like you come online to support it, what else can i say?. you may never know the day a relation of yours or you will be manhandled by them. If Fashola ordered this raid, he failed on this one, hooooooooHaaaaaaaaaa.

I believe your interpretation of the events are disingenous. The entire village was not surrounded with people being whipped indiscriminately. There is no mention of destroyed lives or properties as you allege.

The policemen work 24hrs but the government and court officials do not. This was a simple close down of a market and not restraining of protesters like in Iran (unless you feel the average Nigerian market is the gathering of a mob).

Our reporter reliably learnt that the armed Policemen freely used horsewhips on the recalcitrant traders especially the youths who attempted to prevent them from carrying out the order allegedly approved by Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos.
When they eventually complied, Daily Champion was told that the traders who had already displayed their wares for sale were forced to take refuge at the Awolowo and medical roads and other adjoining streets from where they hawked their goods.

The policemen whipped those who resisted the execution of the order. The primary problem was that some people resisted the law enforcement, and even after being forced out, resorted to hawking on the road  and disturbing traffic flow.

The time of execution of the order is secondary, as there is nothing restricting same group from a confrontation with the police if they were refused access to the area at 6am. Announcing the closed down in the media would have likely resulted in a more organized resistance,  leading to increased violence. Surprise is used by law enforcement in every country.

In civilized countries, people (for the most part) respect uniformed officers. There would have been no violence if the people complied peacefully.

We can condemn the Nigerian police for their numerous failings, but we also have to recognize that the citizens need to respect the law and law enforcement officers.

Aloy.Emeka:

Is that a civilized and best way to close down a market?. All they need to do is to come out early in the morning before people open their shops and put it on the lockdown. Why do we extol violence in Nigeria?

If the enforcers come early in the morning and the market traders still puts up resistance upon arriving, will enforcers be justified to use whip? or would u prefer "Rubber bullets" to make it civilized?

If u comply with d law, u wouldnt need to get the whip. Its for those proving stubborn.

If the enforcers come early in the morning and the market traders still puts up resistance upon arriving, will enforcers be justified to use whip? or would u prefer "Rubber bullets" to make it civilized?

If u comply with d law, u wouldnt need to get the whip. Its for those proving stubborn.

Simple logic should tell you that there is no way the whole market will arrive there at the same time. It will never be like arriving there at the middle of the day. Most of you talk as if you are not Nigerians. You think the policemen came into the market calmly and were begging people: "nnaa make una dey leave this place small small na, una wan make we use force?". Eye witness came back this evening with a broken foot and she was just shopping and Biina is here yarning nonsense. What stops the police from invading the market at the wee hours?. Why must they do it during the peak period?. Do you know how many children that were running helter skelter today because the police were chasing people?. It is called cumulative effect. Even terrorists in advance countries take refuge in the crowd because they know the police will come up with a hyper plane to nab them. Why should mrs mojisola break her leg because she went shopping, is it because she was adamant to leave or because the crowd pounced on her?.

As for biina, I am tired of answering him. I will wait the day olopa will whip him because he is in the vicinity where they are chasing a fraudstar, armed robber or because he went to agboju to buy pepper.

Aloy.Emeka:

Is that a civilized and best way to close down a market?. All they need to do is to come out early in the morning before people open their shops and put it on the lockdown. Why do we extol violence in Nigeria?

So in 2009 its ideal to wipe people,how many of them (The Government officials & Political office holders) have we beaten for mismanagement ,for corruption,for making life miserable, because we dont have guns ? Can they do the same to the Big Industrialist that evade taxes ,can they? what about their loyalist that failed to pay land use charges, take it or leave it those laws are meant for the poor. No Police will try beat an elite that fail to pay 10 years tax.

lannre:



So in 2009 its ideal to wipe people,how many of them (The Government officials & Political office holders) have we beaten for mismanagement ,for corruption,for making life miserable, because we dont have guns ? Can they do the same to the Big Industrialist that evade taxes ,can they? what about their loyalist that failed to pay land use charges, take it or leave it those laws are meant for the poor. No Police will try beat an elite that fail to pay 10 years tax.

you read my mind!!! roflmao

lojik:

If the enforcers come early in the morning and the market traders still puts up resistance upon arriving, will enforcers be justified to use whip? or would u prefer "Rubber bullets" to make it civilized?

If u comply with d law, u wouldnt need to get the whip. Its for those proving stubborn.

for where? lagos? lol

Aloy.Emeka:

Simple logic should tell you that there is no way the whole market will arrive there at the same time. It will never be like arriving there at the middle of the day. Most of you talk as if you are not Nigerians. You think the policemen came into the market calmly and were begging people: "nnaa make una dey leave this place small small na, una wan make we use force?". Eye witness came back this evening with a broken foot and she was just shopping and Biina is here yarning nonsense. What stops the police from invading the market at the wee hours?. Why must they do it during the peak period?. Do you know how many children that were running helter skelter today because the police were chasing people?. It is called cumulative effect. Even terrorists in advance countries take refuge in the crowd because they know the police will come up with a hyper plane to nab them. Why should mrs mojisola break her leg because she went shopping, is it because she was adamant to leave or because the crowd pounced on her?.

As for biina, I am tired of answering him. I will wait the day olopa will whip him because he is in the vicinity where they are chasing a fraudstar, armed robber or because he went to agboju to buy pepper.

The report stated that the policemen arrived in the morning, so stop painting it like if they went there at mid-day.

The possibility of you getting beat up by mobile policemen is higher, as you are likely to refuse a directive given by them simply on the basis of time of the day.

If your friend was innocent and still got injured, that was unfortunate, but the blame should be with those that restricted the police hereby necessitating the use of  force, and not the policemen who were executing  (as far as we know) a lawful directive.

Talking bout the eyewitness, what was she doing around when it was clear that law enforcement officers were driving traders out? I'm sure she hung around a lil' too much. . .

When I was in school, we had a peaceful demonstration once and the Vice Chancellor ordered that the school be closed at 12 noon and anyone not out of the school premises by then 'd driven out forcefully. The Mopol guys wiated till 1 pm before they descended on us. I hung around till like 1.30 and i got the whooping of my life. If I'd been outta the school by 12 noon, I wouldn't have known what'd happened.

Same applies to our eye witness. Why did she hang around the market premises for so long?

Can they do the same to the Big Industrialist that evade taxes ,can they? what about their loyalist that failed to pay land use charges, take it or leave it those laws are meant for the poor. No Police will try beat an elite that fail to pay 10 years tax.

Ask MKO Abiola,Olisa Agbakoba,etc,they will tell you their experience in the hand of our Law enforcers

I thot i read sometimes ago that the govt was gonna move the market to outskirt of Lagos, what happened to the plan, even though, i was never in support of the move, i still blv the govt can do something to make the market better and still be environmentally friendly, and make sure there is a proper way of dumping all the computer junks

I AM USING THIS MEDIUM TO ANNOUNCE TO ALL IGBO TRADERS AND IMPORTERS TO CHANGE THEIR DIRECTIONS AND POINT TO EASTERN PART BY TRANSFERING THIS COMPUTER VILLAGE TO EAST. I AM 100% AWARE THAT PEOPLE AFFECTED ARE THE IBOS.

IBOS SHOULD TRANSFER THIS COMPUTER VILLAGE TO EAST

Aloy.Emeka:

Is that a civilized and best way to close down a market?. All they need to do is to come out early in the morning before people open their shops and put it on the lockdown. Why do we extol violence in Nigeria?

why do we not take govt warnings seriously. you were warned several times and they got what they deserved. we nigerians are just weird bunch. its the same guys that come on nairaland to ask everyone to perform his duty correctly in order to improve the image of nigeria and its the same guys that are here sympathising with touts who have no regard for the law. how do you expect things to improve. unless the sympathisers are one of them. anyways, we nigerians only understand the rule of force. once we get a beating we understand, just like animals. pls make up your fucking minds. are you on the side of the law or lawlessness.

This doesn't make sense at all. If we Nigerians can obey the law and follow the rule abroad, why can't we do the same at home. I'm sure most of the folks here that lives abroad will dare not mess with the law or else they will have their ass deported or jailed.

Any court order to show that they violated enviromental laws? why collective punishment? Are these traders being pronounced guilty before they are tried?

Aloy, Biina stop your argument, just watch me take sides.
Binna, I'll go with you on this one.
If the traders had been forewarned then they should be shot!
What most Nigerians don't understand is the fact that you can't win the govt, at least not without the courts and when you do all you get is some lousy payment. Nobody retires or gets fired for your whopped a*s. Ilorin lecturers had a face off with the govt, they finally won but at what cost? Those that were supposed to have become Professors amongst them have wasted years and they now get 8 years arrears! Where's the money for arrears coming from?- yes the govt pocket not that of the guy that fired them! Confrontation with govt doesn't always end well. If govt wants to evict you and you are unhappy then go to court and get a restraint, don't wait for the whip to come and expect not to get bullied!
May God save us from 'collateral damage' as witnesses

al-qaeda:

why do we not take govt warnings seriously. you were warned several times and they got what they deserved. we nigerians are just weird bunch. its the same guys that come on nairaland to ask everyone to perform his duty correctly in order to improve the image of nigeria and its the same guys that are here sympathising with touts who have no regard for the law. how do you expect things to improve. unless the sympathisers are one of them. anyways, we nigerians only understand the rule of force. once we get a beating we understand, just like animals. pls make up your fucking minds. are you on the side of the law or lawlessness.

MUZBO:

Aloy, Biina stop your argument, just watch me take sides.
Binna, I'll go with you on this one.
If the traders had been forewarned then they should be shot!
What most Nigerians don't understand is the fact that you can't win the govt, at least not without the courts and when you do all you get is some lousy payment. Nobody retires or gets fired for your whopped a*s. Ilorin lecturers had a face off with the govt, they finally won but at what cost? Those that were supposed to have become Professors amongst them have wasted years and they now get 8 years arrears! Where's the money for arrears coming from?- yes the govt pocket not that of the guy that fired them! Confrontation with govt doesn't always end well. If govt wants to evict you and you are unhappy then go to court and get a restraint, don't wait for the whip to come and expect not to get bullied!
May God save us from 'collateral damage' as witnesses

Do you realize that the reason we remain on the human rights watch list is because ordinary Nigerians like you and I continue to make excuses for such animalistic acts in the name of cleaning up the country. And worse, we only seem to cry when the same treatment is doled out to use when we are in another’s man’s country. I remember many on here cried foul only last year when a Nigerian was excuted off a British Airways flight for standing up against law enforcement. But We are the same group Quick to excuse worse treatment in our own country, justifying it by claiming it is within law.  

Why not learn to deal with all humans as humans? Do you realize that in the west, if mistreated by police, a CRIMINAL can be allowed to WALK FREE? No amount of warning is enough to warrant such a treatment from Police. There is no separation to exist between those in government and those in police. If the police is found guilty, regardles of how early or late our politicians where in getting to office, these people DESERVE an apology, even if they are found CRIMINALS.

I mean we here how Guantanamo bay is going. Even Suspected suicide bombers and terrorists seem to get better treatment than we accord our own selves in this country. it is truly dispicable.

Kobojunkie, I know exactly where you are going with this but fact is still that it is not worth confronting govt. Ok, they apologise! then?, the damage has been done. Did BA apologise to my Naija guy, I don't remember and if they did it would have been BA not the guy who harassed him. Picture the whop-happy crooked cops apologizing to the whopped- he won't! he'll rather wait for govt to do that and trust me they are good at it: oh sorry you got whopped but you can't return here. Some say they even have apology advisers.
If they were forewarned then the traders were wrong.

Kobojunkie, I know exactly where you are going with this but fact is still that it is not worth confronting govt. Ok, they apologise! then?, the damage has been done. Did BA apologise to my Naija guy, I don't remember and if they did it would have been BA not the guy who harassed him. Picture the whop-happy crooked cops apologizing to the whopped- he won't! he'll rather wait for govt to do that and trust me they are good at it: oh sorry you got whopped but you can't return here. Some say they even have apology advisers.
If they were forewarned then the traders were wrong.

Kobojunkie

Pls and pls, the 2 scenarios aint similar at all.

This's a case of resistance of enforcement of law. The report said they whipped those who resisted them. It can be likened to someone who resisted arrest.

Kobojunkie:


Do you realize that the reason we remain on the human rights watch list is because ordinary Nigerians like you and I continue to make excuses for such animalistic acts in the name of cleaning up the country. And worse, we only seem to cry when the same treatment is doled out to use when we are in another’s man’s country. I remember many on here cried foul only last year when a Nigerian was excuted off a British Airways flight for standing up against law enforcement. But We are the same group Quick to excuse worse treatment in our own country, justifying it by claiming it is within law.  

Why not learn to deal with all humans as humans? Do you realize that in the west, if mistreated by police, a CRIMINAL can be allowed to WALK FREE? No amount of warning is enough to warrant such a treatment from Police. There is no separation to exist between those in government and those in police. If the police is found guilty, regardles of how early or late our politicians where in getting to office, these people DESERVE an apology, even if they are found CRIMINALS.

I mean we here how Guantanamo bay is going. Even Suspected suicide bombers and terrorists seem to get better treatment than we accord our own selves in this country. it is truly dispicable.

don't compare nigeria to abroad. abroad, the police is not given a reason to manhandle anyone, cuz once he is told that he's wrong, he'll abide, but here until you beat him b4 he understands. why does he have to be beaten b4 he knows its wrong. you end up getting beaten, humiliated and probably injured and locked up, and in the end, you obey. JUST TELL ME, ISN'T THAT THE WAY ANIMALS ARE TREATED HERE. ANIMALS ABROAD OBEY, THATS WHY THEY'RE NOT BEATEN. WATCH ANIMAL PLANET AND SEE WHAT I'M SAYING.

Kobojunkie:


[b]Do you realize that the reason we remain on the human rights watch list is because ordinary Nigerians like you and I continue to make excuses for such animalistic acts in the name of cleaning up the country. And worse, we only seem to cry when the same treatment is doled out to use when we are in another’s man’s country. [/b]I remember many on here cried foul only last year when a Nigerian was excuted off a British Airways flight for standing up against law enforcement. But We are the same group Quick to excuse worse treatment in our own country, justifying it by claiming it is within law.  

Why not learn to deal with all humans as humans? Do you realize that in the west, if mistreated by police, a CRIMINAL can be allowed to WALK FREE? No amount of warning is enough to warrant such a treatment from Police.  There is no separation to exist between those in government and those in police. If the police is found guilty, regardles of how early or late our politicians where in getting to office, these people DESERVE an apology, even if they are found CRIMINALS.

I mean we here how Guantanamo bay is going. Even Suspected suicide bombers and terrorists seem to get better treatment than we accord our own selves in this country. it is truly dispicable.

You dey mind them. One wonders why our govt don't take us serious and treat us like animals when citizens can endorse this kind of treatment on people. Which sane human being will enter a crowd and start chasing them in the name of law enforcement. Even the western police take precautions when dealing with rioters how much less people doing their business. Environmental law is not an emergency; If the govt wants to enforce it, they can do that by closing down the market at night.  Don't they close banks again overnight?. Why not bust the bank during business hours and start flogging both the workers and customers?.  We have been so dehumanized in Nigeria to the point of taking ourselves as animals.  The chain effect of causing an alarm in a public place are many and any reasonable person with a figment of brain matter should know it. All these people that will never see anything wrong with Fashola should understand that he is not infallible. It was not as if they closed down the market and some people are forcing the police out of their way to open them. Until Nigerians learn and appreciate self respect among themslves, they will still remain beasts of burden in the eyes of their own democratic govt.

don't compare nigeria to abroad. abroad, the police is not given a reason to manhandle anyone, cuz once he is told that he's wrong, he'll abide, but here until you beat him b4 he understands. why does he have to be beaten b4 he knows its wrong. you end up getting beaten, humiliated and probably injured and locked up, and in the end, you obey. JUST TELL ME, ISN'T THAT THE WAY ANIMALS ARE TREATED HERE. ANIMALS ABROAD OBEY, THATS WHY THEY'RE NOT BEATEN. WATCH ANIMAL PLANET AND SEE WHAT I'M SAYING.

Everybody here is not a goat. I am not one and don't flog me in the name of enforcing the law. many have died in the hands of policemen at alagbon because of treatments like this and because there is no effective human rights in Nigeria apart from the defunct CDHR, they continue to do it. Because its a lifelong practice doesn't mean it's right. If majority of Nigerians have accepted their fate because they are either illiterate or poor, that is not a reason to maltreat them. I wish these police men corner armed robbers like that and eventually flog them out of our lives. Assuming its armed robbers staking out the computer village, will they storm the place like that to make them stop breaking the law?

MUZBO:

Aloy, Biina stop your argument, just watch me take sides.
Binna, I'll go with you on this one.
If the traders had been forewarned then they should be shot!
What most Nigerians don't understand is the fact that you can't win the govt, at least not without the courts and when you do all you get is some lousy payment. Nobody retires or gets fired for your whopped a*s. Ilorin lecturers had a face off with the govt, they finally won but at what cost? Those that were supposed to have become Professors amongst them have wasted years and they now get 8 years arrears! Where's the money for arrears coming from?- yes the govt pocket not that of the guy that fired them! Confrontation with govt doesn't always end well. If govt wants to evict you and you are unhappy then go to court and get a restraint, don't wait for the whip to come and expect not to get bullied!
May God save us from 'collateral damage' as witnesses

You need education to free your mind because you are a slave and doesn't know it.