Taskforce demolishes 360 shops, containers at Igbara Market

Bulldozer demolishing shops in the market

Kazeem Ugbodaga

Officials of the Lagos State Taskforce have demolished 360 illegal shops and containers at Igbara Market at Jakande area, Lekki, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria.

The market was erected under high tension cable. Over 235 shops and 125 containers were demolished by the taskforce at the market in compliance with the state government’s directive that all structures built under high tension cable should be removed.

The market before its demolition

Buldozer from the state government stormed the market at the weekend and began demolition after notices were served the traders earlier to remove their wares from the market.

Taskforce Chairman, SP Olayinka Egbeyemi called on market leaders to enforce government directives on high tension cables across the state.

Egbeyemi who supervised the demolition said the exercise should not be seen as being punitive but to be viewed as efforts geared towards saving of lives and properties of members of the public.

He enjoined market leaders at all local governments and local council development areas of the State to support government by educating traders on the imminent danger of trading under high tension cables.

Egbeyemi stated that the high current flowing between in the high tension cables with its intermittent sound poses imminent danger to health.

The market being demolished

The chairman, who confirmed that a 7-day notice was served shop owners and all traders before the demolition exercise was carried out, however, stated that no responsible and responsive government would tolerate any trading activities under such dangerous condition.

The Chairman of the Spare Parts Traders Association at the market, Mr. Ugo Onuha said that they had been operating at the market for more than 20 years.

He stated that the market was constructed by Igbara communities which comprised three different families namely-Lawal, Balogun and Badanu.

According to him, why the family collected between N3,000 and N5,000 from those selling inside container shops, others who trade inside brick shops paid between N10,000 and N20,000 monthly.