Heavily armed policemen attached to the Lagos State Police Command and a team of other security operatives belonging to the Lagos State Task Force stormed the popular Ile – Epo market in Abule Egba community earlier today, Friday, April 27, 2018, to demolish the market.
According to sources in the market – the second biggest on the Lagos Mainland after the Mile 12 market in Ketu, Lagos Mainland – the decision to pull down the structures in the market came as a shock to the traders who occupy sections of the market.
It was gathered that the demolition started when many of the shop and stall owners in the market were yet to resume for the daily trading activities in the market.
InsideMainland learnt that the decision of the Lagos State Government to demolish the market was recently communicated to the market leaders with a two-week ultimatum to move their belongings away from the market.
At the time, the market leaders protested the short notice adding that the two weeks granted was too short to allow the traders move their goods.
The protest, however, fell on deaf ears as the government went ahead with the plan to demolish the structures.
Sources told InsideMainland that cries filled the air as some of the traders watched their shops being pulled down by the officials of the government.
Meanwhile, the Committee Development Chairman of Agbado Oke Odo LCDA was said to have stated that he was not aware of the demolition. Similarly, leading stakeholders in the community told different sources that they were not duly informed of the demolition exercise.
There are insinuations that the market was demolished by the government to pave way for a modern facility and the ongoing road rehabilitation project in the axis.
Recall that in 2017, popular markets such as Sabo market in Ikorodu, Ojodu Berger mini market, Ogba retail market, and Yaba market was pulled down by the government at different times during the year.
The demolitions drew wild condemnations by civil groups and stakeholders who faulted the decision of the government to demolish the structures.
