An all-night demolition of the Bakassi section of the Ladipo Autopart Market, in Lagos, has brought loss running into several millions of  naira to operators of the market, affected traders have said.

The traders while lamenting to Lagos Metro noted that the demolition which they said was carried around 3:00 a.m. on Tuesday caught many of the traders unawares, since no notice was passed to them.

“The paid thugs who had been trying to take over our market have eventually succeeded in demolishing it. They came in the middle of the night in company of armed security personnel to carry out their evil deeds

“They destroyed our goods in the process, while some shops were looted before they were eventually demolished. Why didn’t they come at daytime, is this fair?” Ugbiji John, the General Secretary of the market union, told Lagos Metro.

About six of the traders had on Tuesday, approached the Lagos State House of Assembly to make their plights known, but felt rather slighted that after spending hours waiting in the sun and no lawmaker addressed them.

Lagos Metro gathered that the demolition exercise was carried out as the traders were still mourning one of their own, Anene Otazi, whose life was cut short by a bullet allegedly fired by marauding thugs who stormed the market, last week.

The traders demanded for justice for their slain colleagues, as well as a chance to be left alone in peace to continue to transact their auto part business which they said they had been doing for over 20 years.

“We should be left alone to do our business in peace. We want the thugs and those who worked with them to wreak havoc on our market to be brought to book,” another trader whose identity could not be ascertained, said.

While reacting to the incident last week, especially the death of Anene Otazi, the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr Mudashiru Obasa, had described the incident as “not being good for the image of the state.”

Obasa said that the matter should be investigated by the police to curb future recurrence.

Investigations by Lagos Metro however revealed that more section of the market would be demolished in the next few days. Lagos Metro also gathered that the market was demolished by officials of the Lagos State Government, who are reportedly executing a court order. Plans were said to be on to demolish more shops at the market by the Lagos State government to pave way for the Owoyemi Motor’s family to take over the land.

Counsel to the Owoyemi family, Febo Adeleke described the demolition as legal and added that the traders should have been arrested for contempt of the court.

The legal practitioner stated that the state government had served the traders a quit notice and later a demolition order, after four court judgements were delivered in favour of his client.

He described the traders as insincere and accused them of not paying for the land in the last six years.

My ibo brothers it is time to leave Lagos for the landlords.

Adamu will soon come and take over ladipo just as they did in mile 12.

Leave these heathen yorubas for ab0ki Adamu

The hausas too attacked yorubas with their help.They are available for the highest bidder. The things is it may cost the traders more to hire the armed personnel for the long period it takes to build compared to destroying it.

Or better yet hire awusa thugs as night guards.

They know how to deal with these yoruba cowards and get away Scotland free

This one is not new now

RevDesm0ndJuju:
Or better yet hire awusa thugs as night guards.

They know how to deal with these yoruba cowards and get away Scotland free

Whoever paid for your education didn't wait to teach you morals , it reflects on everything you do