Traders Protest Demolition Of 500 Shops In Lagos Market

Traders protest demolition of 500 shops in Lagos market. He also called for an investigation to prosecute those responsible for what he described as the illegal demolition of the Owode-Onirin spare parts market.

Some traders from the Owode-Onirin motor spare parts market in Lagos State on Thursday protested the demolition of 500 shops in their market.

Speaking for the protesters, the association’s chairman, Hammed Abiodun, described the market as a vital hub providing spare parts and sustaining the livelihoods of numerous families and traders.

Traders carried placards with messages like: “IGP, tell police to stay away from land matters” and “Obasa, stand up for Owode traders” during the demonstration at the state House of Assembly.

Mr Abiodun urged Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to intervene and halt further actions threatening the livelihoods of thousands of families who depend on the market.

He also called for a thorough investigation to identify and prosecute those responsible for what he described as the illegal demolition of the Owode-Onirin Motor Spare Parts Market.

Mr Abioidun said traders had always been law-abiding, operating peacefully and conducting their businesses in an orderly and legal manner for many years.

“On Thursday, March 6, officers of the Lagos State Building Control Agency, armed policemen, and thugs with dangerous weapons invaded the market,” Mr Abiodun alleged.

He claimed they were enforcing a court judgment against Agbajowo Market, which shares a boundary with Owode-Onirin, despite the market belonging to the Lagos State government.

“There is no court injunction, nor do we have any legal dispute with any family or individuals,” he insisted, calling the demolition unjustified and unlawful.
“When officials of LABSCA arrived with excavators, they beat us and began demolishing our shops without any prior notice,” he alleged.

He said traders received no notice to vacate or remove their goods, appealing to President Bola Tinubu and the Lagos State governor to intervene immediately.

Alex Omotehinse, president of the Centre for Human and Socio-Economic Rights (CHSR), described the demolition as an illegal act designed to impoverish struggling traders.

Mr Omotehinse condemned what he called a brazen act of land grabbing, arguing that it violated property rights and posed a threat to the state’s economic stability.

He urged authorities to compensate affected traders, ensuring they were not left without means to sustain their businesses and livelihoods.

A trader, Samuel Oluwole, stated that market traders were law-abiding citizens who promptly paid their taxes to the Lagos State government.

Traders Protest Demolition

“We plead with the Lagos State government to rescue us from intimidation and persecution,” he added, urging authorities to halt further demolitions,” he said.

Addressing the protesters, Lagos Mainland Constituency II lawmaker Adebola Shabi commended them for conducting a peaceful demonstration.

Mr Shabi assured them that Speaker Mudashiru Obasa and other House members sympathised with their plight and would take necessary action.

“The House will summon all stakeholders once the assembly resumes fully. This issue will not be ignored but will receive an accelerated hearing,” he assured.

Afghan, U.S. Embassy Delegation Discuss Reopening In Kabul, Bilateral Relations

Afghan, U.S. embassy delegation discuss reopening in Kabul, bilateral relations. The Afghan interim government’s spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, has said several key issues, including reopening the U.S. Embassy in Kabul and transferring control of the Afghan Embassy in Washington, were discussed with the U.S. delegation.

“Negotiations for handing over the Afghan Embassy in the United States are ongoing,” Mr Mujahid said in an interview with Al Arabiya TV.

“We also want the U.S. Embassy to resume its activities. The U.S. delegation returned to the U.S. with several issues to address, and we will wait to see what steps Washington will take,” Mr Mujahid added.

Afghan

He emphasised that the interim government had ended the war with the U.S. and committed to establishing positive relations with the country.

Since the interim government took power in August 2021, a U.S. delegation visited Kabul for the first time last week.

They discussed bilateral relations and a prisoner exchange with the Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi.

Gov. Umo Eno Inspects Facilities At DASAC Ahead Of Maiden Graduation Ceremony

Gov. Umo Eno inspects facilities at DASAC ahead of maiden graduation ceremony. Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, has expressed satisfaction with the facilities and training at the Dakkada Skills Acquisition Centre (DASAC), Ikot Ada Edem, in Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area.

Governor Eno shared his thoughts during a brief stopover at the center while on his way to flag off road construction projects in Ibiono Ibom and Ikono Local Government Areas.

He said, “I am quite impressed by the standard of facilities and training here. I came here unannounced, and from what I have seen, it looks like the school is ready.

You have seen it yourself. The Rector and her team are doing a great job here, and I am very proud of them.”

The Governor also used the opportunity to visit the Akwa Ibom State contingent to the Niger Delta Sports Festival, who are camped at the facility, and charged them to strive for victory.

The Rector of the institution, Prof. Enoidem Usoro, who conducted the Governor around the facility, spoke on the viability of the center, noting that the facilities and their products are world-class.

Umo Eno Inspects Facilities

She assured everyone that the trainees have been equipped with the requisite skills to excel in their chosen professions and invited the Governor to the graduation ceremony of the first batch of trainees, scheduled for Saturday, March 29, 2025.

The Dakkada Skills Acquisition Centre boasts schools of Fashion, Catering, Agribusiness, ICT, Metal Technology, Wood Technology, among others.