Lagos Task Force Razes Over 2,000 Stalls at Okobaba Market, Allegedly to Force Relocation of Timber Dealers
September 18, 2024
By Okafor Joseph Afam
Facts have emerged regarding the actions of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s Lagos State Task Force, which on Monday razed approximately 2,000 stalls at the Okobaba Plant Market in a controversial move. The operation, which involved personnel from the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) and the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), was reportedly carried out on the orders of the state government despite existing legal directives against such action.
Affected plant marketers spoke to we accusing the government of using the demolition as a tactic to forcefully relocate them to Agbowa Ikosi, Lagos State. This, they noted, is in violation of a Federal High Court order issued in Lagos on July 17, 2024, which halted the planned relocation of timber dealers from the Okobaba Foreshore in Ebute-Metta. Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa had confirmed that the court’s ruling followed a lawsuit filed by timber dealers and stakeholders contesting the eviction plan, which they argued was both unjust and lacking a proper alternative location.
Eyewitnesses at the scene recounted how task force officials, alongside other government agencies, arrived and began bulldozing structures, later resorting to setting the market ablaze when the machinery failed to proceed further.
“About 2,000 stalls have been damaged, leaving all traders stranded and without offices. We are in shock,” said one of the affected traders.
Another trader, who witnessed the destruction, added, “They started with bulldozers, but when the machine couldn’t move beyond a certain point, they began burning the stalls. We saw the Lagos Task Force and LASEMA officials, but it’s clear they wanted to feign ignorance.”
Despite the destruction, traders revealed they had anticipated the demolition and managed to sell most of their products before the incident. The motivation behind the forceful relocation, they claim, stems from government officials’ desire to conceal alleged mismanagement and corruption in the construction of the new site at Agbowa Ikosi. Work at the new site had reportedly stalled, raising concerns over embezzlement, with the government pushing for the relocation to generate revenue through taxes to complete the project.
The traders also disclosed that during the demolition, government agents resorted to teargas and gunfire to disperse individuals attempting to resist the forced eviction, escalating tensions further.
This incident raises serious questions about the government’s handling of the relocation process and the alleged misappropriation of funds tied to the Agbowa Ikosi project, with many traders calling for accountability and transparency moving forward.
