At the moment, traders at the Fancy and
Furniture Dealers Association Section of the
Alaba International Market, Lagos are going
through a rough patch. They woke up on Friday,
September 18, to see that their market had
been shut allegedly on the orders of the
President General of Association of Commodity
Market Women and Men of Nigeria, Chief Mrs.
Folashade Tinubu-Ojo, who is otherwise called
the Iyaloja General of Nigeria. Several outlets in
the market were allegedly broken into and
goods worth millions of naira looted by the
hoodlums.

On Monday, September 21, there was palpable
tension in the market. Angry traders were
visibly restlessness and were held in check by
their leaders. They were particularly irked by
what they termed an act of impunity against
them.

Recalling how it all started, the Chairman of the
Fancy and Furniture Section, Ndubuisi,
Chukwuezi said: “At about 1 am on Friday,
September 18, I was called by the Chief Security
Officer of the market that some area boys were
around to seal up the market. I drove down
immediately and got there shortly after 2 am
and saw our security men all disarmed. No
fewer than 50 area boys were seen milling
around the market. They came in three buses
and sealed up the market with padlocks and
chains. Some of them broke into the shops that
were in the front section.
“After accomplishing their mission, they pasted
a notice titled: ‘Re: Closure of Fancy and
Furniture Section of Alaba International Market.’
I invited you to a meeting but you refused to
show up. In view of the above, FANCY AND
FURNITURE SECTION of Alaba International
Market thereby (sic) close.’
“When I got to the market area, I parked my
vehicle at a reasonable distance and from there
I watched the proceedings. Shortly after, they all
boarded their buses and left. They took away
everything our security men had. It was after
they had left that I drew near to have a bigger
picture of what happened.
“It was then that I noticed a letter signed by
Chief (Mrs.) Folashade Tinubu-Ojo pasted on the
wall, directed us to call 08038348871 for
further information.”

As at Monday, the traders were visible angry
and it showed. Despite the simmering anger,
they were however law abiding. Explaining how
they were able to hold their patience,
Chukwuezi said: “I called the Commissioner of
Police, the Area Commander and the Divisional
Police Office in charge of Ojo and told them
what happened. We were directed to reopen the
market but to shun any thing that might lead to
violence.

“Then yesterday the area boys came again
threatening to seal the market. It was the police
that ordered us to reopen the market. It was
then that we decided the matter had gone too
far and we might break our silence.”
Chief John Nwosu, Vice Chairman of Elders
Forum of the association, lamented that the
disruption had done a lot of damages already.
“The people affected get their daily bread from
this market. Some of them can not bear this for
one hour let alone one day because it means
they would not get their daily bread. It is by the
grace of God that we have been able to calm
such people down thus far.”
Our correspondent gathered that the traders’
losses arising from the closure of the market
ran into millions of naira. It was further
gathered that soon after the development
occurred, news about it went viral. This affected
the larger market’s customers who were coming
from far and near.

“This morning, people have been calling me
from far and near to find out if indeed the
market was shut down,” Chief Nwosu stated.
Before the incident our correspondent gathered
that the market was relatively calm. It was
learnt that the Iyaloja had earlier invited the
traders following some perceived internal crisis
in the market. A letter to that effect dated July
28, 2015, requested them to show up at noon at
10, Sunday Adigun Street Ikeja. It reads: “A
crucial meeting to discuss the progress and way
forward in the market with the president
general of the association of commodity market
women and men of Nigeria.”

Counsel to the caretaker committee of the
market, Barrister Chinedu Nwosu, whiling
hinting on what might have led to the face-off,
said: “While the traders welcome the mediation,
the invitation was impromptu and there was no
way the executive could all be gathered. So I
sent a lawyer from the chamber who went there
and requested that the traders be given another
date so that they would be well prepared.”
He said the lawyer was denied audience because
the Iyaloja General said she would prefer to
dialogue with the traders and not their lawyer.
He said thereafter, the Iyaloja promised to
communicate to the traders. And the next
communication was the crisis that took place at
1 am last Friday.

“The hoodlums who came to execute the orders
went too far as they were looting and breaking
especially shops selling phones and drinks. In
all, not less than 18 shops were looted. Traders
who came to meet the shocking situation in the
morning called the phone number on the
sealing order and the person who picked the call
identified himself as the Personal Assistant to
the Iyaloja. He requested that the traders
should come and see the Iyaloja.”
The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the
distraught traders, Onyekwelu Chukwuemenam,
regretted that the most annoying fact was the
colossal amount of money the traders had lost
since their shops were sealed. He lamented that
the association’s 50, 000 members could not
trade within the period. “While we don’t want to
take the laws into our hands, there is a limit to
which you can push a man and he will respond.
“We are a registered association; we pay our
taxes to the state and local governments and to
the Federal Government too.”

Umeh Michael, owner of one of the looted
stores, was still agonising over his loss. “I lost 18
Porsche Blackberry phones, and six I-Phone 5
and N95, 000 cash.” Each blackberry costs
N90,000 while an I-Phone goes for N145,000.”
Another victim, Mercy Akali, said: “They broke
my shop and looted everything: wines and
spirits totaling N1.6 million. I am begging for
assistance to recover my losses,” she lamented,
her feelings mirroring the climate of sadness
and anger that enveloped the market.
On Monday, September 21, the Executive
Secretary of Ojo Local Government Area, Sikiru
Lawal, weighed in on the matter to defuse the
tension and appealed for calm.

Members of the association contented that
Alaba International was not a commodity
market, and therefore not under Iyaloja’s
oversight. According to Chief Nwosu, “this is an
international market, consisting of about 10
sections. Whatever the Iyaloja wanted to do
should be with the whole market not with a
section. Closing a particular section is like
fomenting trouble, because this is the entrance
to the market. We don’t have any personal issue
with her. Since 1979, the market has been in
existence, nobody has come here to terrorise us
this way. We pay our dues to the state and local
governments. We don’t know about an Iyaloja
that suddenly came out overnight to establish
her authority.

“If her action was legal, why was it carried out in
the night? And why use hoodlums and not the
police? The police came in the morning and
removed the chains and keys and the next thing
she did was to order us to come and see her
before we could open the shops. This is
impunity!”


However, Chukwuezi expressed confidence that
the issues would be resolved without any fracas.
“As far as I am concerned, there is no crisis
here; it is just a case of somebody wanting to
intrude into our market. This is an association.
We are duly registered with the Corporate
Affairs Commission (CAC). We don’t have any
mother union. We are not an appendage of any
association. And nobody can arm-twist us to
accept their authority.

“The situation has not degenerated because I
have been able to control my people. God has
given us the wisdom to handle it thus far, and I
believe we will resolve it soon.”


When our correspondent placed a call to
08038348871, a man answered, saying he was in
a public traffic and promised to call back. When
he did and our correspondent told him she was
calling with respect to the issues at Alaba
Market, he promptly switched off his cell phone.



sunnewsonline.com/new/tension-at-alaba-market/

J

Lazy people!!!

Lazy people that can't work. Even the Hausa people are now hardworking than this people. Atleast, you see the Hausa people changing dollars in all markets, but this people are the most laziest set of people on earth.

The only job they know is to send their wives to sell agbo, jedi jedi, no wonder their wives are all adulterous. The highest they can do for themselves is to send their wives to sell Bread and Ewa.

Name them and shame them...

This stupid Tinubu's daughter would soon be taught some lessons!!! WTF is iyaloja?

Something Good Can Never Come From T-H-I-E-FNUBU Family! #Iyaloja General" My Foot! All Her Power No Pass Lagos State, If Dem Born Her Well Make She Go Try This Kind Thing For Aba Or Bornu. Mtcheeeew

Great - I see the amala-eaters are tired of hearing Mr. Kanu and IPOB threaten to shed their bloods. Jaw Jaw is easy War War is hard now we know who is really ready for war.

Some actions can just be annoying. Stirring unnecessary tension for nothing sake.

G

Only a thief and a coward goes to paste notice and lock / loot people's shop by night.

They dare not try it by day. Same cowards deposited ppl at upper iweka by 3am. Are they witches or cowardice taken too far?

Yellow bar lazy asss..

It's in their blood, Tinubu manipulating all and sundries because people re scared of confronting him because of his mouth odor..

Iyaloja my ass, lazy soul who feed on others to live.

Amaechi who was invited by the. Probe panel in rivers is yet to go nd nobody has gone to Lock up his family home...

IamAtribalist:
Great - I see the amala-eaters are tired of hearing Mr. Kanu and IPOB threaten to shed their bloods. Jaw Jaw is easy War War is hard now we know who is really ready for war.

Why did they wait till 1 AM to come and loot shops


The last one they came during the day they were turned back, they only came at night when the traders are in deep sleep, funny yorubadssss

These people are afflicted with a serious case of herd mentality and cowardice.
I mean how can one man just control everything.
And they are supposed to be sophisticated.

funkybully:
Only a thief and a coward goes to paste notice and lock people's shop by night.

They dare not try it by day. Same cowards deposited ppl at upper iweka by 3am. Are they witches or cowardice taken too far?

The same cowards left ASPAMDA, Ladipo and Alaba to block the entrance of a place own by an Igbowoman

I know its Alcatraz01 that led the operation

We came at Night to paste posters and loot shops because you know trying such in the daytime is murderous

Signed:
Alcatraz001
(Lawyer and Community Leader)

I think the traders should take turns and guard their shops at night to avert a repeat of this sort of cowardly action. They should go ahead and ignore the stupid woman and continue going ahead with their business, while taking precautions to avert a repeat of this sort of cowardly action

BuddahMonk:


The same cowards left ASPAMDA, Ladipo and Alaba to block the entrance of a place own by an Igbowoman

Cowardice is genetic in those people's life.

chukwudi44:
I think the traders should take turns and guard their shops at night to avert a repeat of this sort of cowardly action. They should go ahead and ignore the stupid woman and continue going ahead with their business, while taking precautions to avert a repeat of this sort of cowardly action

As a matter of urgency, the security should be armed to the teeth and a warning / announcement made public that between 10pm to 5am any intruder seen loitering within d market vicinity will b shot.

Arm the security and reinforce their strength n number.

Those cowards dare not repeat this, they must have understudied d lapses in d market security before embarking on this cowardly act.

chukwudi44:
I think the traders should take turns and guard their shops at night to avert a repeat of this sort of cowardly action. They should go ahead and ignore the stupid woman and continue going ahead with their business, while taking precautions to avert a repeat of this sort of cowardly action

The next thing they will do is to connive with their people to set the market on fire in the death of the night

BuddahMonk:


The next thing they will do is to connive with their people to set the market on fire in the death of the night

That is why those traders better take precautions to avert such!! They should not rely on the police, they better hold their fate in their own hands

chukwudi44:
I think the traders should take turns and guard their shops at night to avert a repeat of this sort of cowardly action. They should go ahead and ignore the stupid woman and continue going ahead with their business, while taking precautions to avert a repeat of this sort of cowardly action

All respondents to this issue are missing the point, even the spokesman of the traders said " these traders cannot earn their daily bread if the market is close" so all the people we have been made to believe own Lagos economy are just petty traders and common hustlers who can't survive a days market closure, so instead of showing their displeasure by refusing to go to market ( them no fit cos na hunger go kill them) or relocating en masse back to the east they come to nairaland to beat their chest .....lols
who dash fancy furniture section 50,000 members na so them go begin after them go soon say all persons in Lagos na igbo

This is an association.
We are duly registered with the Corporate
Affairs Commission (CAC). We don’t have any
mother union. We are not an appendage of any
association. And nobody can arm-twist us to
accept their authority.

The chukuwemekas, the nduibusis, the okafors and the ifedubas of Ladipo....which is a haven for the baddest and most militant of Ibo citizens resident in Lagos....said and threatened worse.

At the end of the day, here they are submitting themselves in "idobale" position to the authority of Babaloja.....

Alaba is a child compared to Ladipo. You will come under the authority of Iyaloja, willingly or unwillingly.