Monday, June 6, 2026 - Traders at the Mowe/Ofada Market in Obafemi Owode Local
Government Area of Ogun State have protested the demolition of the market by
the state government, alleging that the exercise was carried out without prior
notification to shop owners and occupants.
The affected traders claimed that the demolition operation
took place around 2am on Friday, several hours before business activities
usually commence in the market.
According to them, goods and property valued at over N500
million were destroyed during the exercise.
Speaking with journalists during a visit to the demolished
site, one of the traders, Mrs Kabira Ajiboye, said no official communication or
demolition notice was issued before the structures were pulled down.
Ajiboye recalled that officials from the Ministry of Urban
and Physical Planning had previously visited the market in 2023 during the
local government election period but suspended plans to remove the structures
after traders explained that they paid rent and levies to the local government
authority.
“There was no notice served on us before the demolition. In
2023, officials from the ministry came here during the local government
election period, but after we informed them that we paid our rents to the local
government, they left without demolishing anything.
“This time, nobody informed us. We got to the market this
morning only to discover that our shops had been destroyed. Goods worth more
than N500 million were lost in the process,” she said.
The traders accused government officials of carrying out the
demolition without considering the economic hardship the exercise would impose
on business owners who depend entirely on the market for survival.
“At least, they should have shown compassion by allowing
traders to remove their goods before demolishing the structures. Many of us
survive solely from these businesses.
“This is not the kind of treatment people expect from a
government seeking public support.
“How do you treat people this way and expect them to be
happy? When we arrived this morning, armed policemen had already taken over the
area,” Ajiboye lamented.
She appealed to Governor Dapo Abiodun to intervene by
providing an alternative location where the displaced traders could relocate
and continue their businesses.
Ajiboye further disclosed that several traders obtained
loans to establish and sustain their businesses, adding that the demolition had
left many of them stranded and uncertain about their future.
Attempts to get a response from the Ogun State Commissioner
for Urban and Physical Planning, Tunji Odunlami, were unsuccessful as calls
placed to his phone line were not answered.
Text and WhatsApp messages sent to him had also not been
replied to as of the time of filing this report.
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