“We have nowhere to go” – Demolished Lagos market’s traders cry out
Traders at the popular Ile-Epo market in Oke-Odo, Abule-Egba area of Lagos, have become stranded following the demolition of their stalls.
The traders were aware of an imminent demolition of the market, but their fears became a reality on Friday, April 27.
One of the traders at the market who simply identified himself as Uche, told Newsroom‘s correspondent that the demolition was unexpected.
Uche said his colleagues never took the officials who announced to them that the government would demolish the market seriously.
“Before they came, our leaders called us to inform us that the government want to demolish the market. When our leaders came to inform us about the intended demolition, we queried them that what about some of us that bought shops for 5-10 years and haven’t used it?,” Uche said.
“In all honesty, I personally bought a shop that is not up to 5 years. We have allocations, we have receipt. We are practically paying for everything in the market. To affirm what I’m saying, I will like to tell you I have paid for this year’s storage. Why we pay a lot of money is because of the promise given to us that there is nothing like demolition, that we should pay our storage the way we always do.”
Uche further stressed that the traders are not opposing the government’s plan to renovate the market.
“When we spoke to our leaders, we agreed that we are not stopping the government’s from demolition. Our priority is for the government to return our shops and spaces,” he said.
Uche said the demolition has been hard on him being a father of four children.
He said, “Since I have nowhere to sell my goods since the demolition, it has been hard to feed my family not to talk of myself.”
Another trader who doesn’t want her name mentioned, said she was devastated by the demolition. She said the traders had no time to even move their goods out of the market before the demolition took place.
“It is even cruel for them to have locked up our leaders because they want to demolish the market. Our leaders were apprehended in police custody until the demolition was completed.” She added.
A woman who lost some of her properties during the demolition couldn’t contend her sadness after spending ten years as a trader in the market.
She said, “They were demolishing the markets and we were rushing to pick our goods at the same time. I can’t even say these are the ones they carried and the ones I was able to secure. As I am talking to you now, I lost my generator, my locker.
“The government people broke the whole door, carry everything that belongs to everybody.”
