Tears as Lagos government demolishes Owonifari Market
Tears freely flowed, yesterday, in Oshodi area of Lagos State, as the Owonifari Market was again demolished, to pave way for the ongoing Oshodi Ultra-modern Bus Terminal.
Recall that in January 2015, the Governor Akinwumi Ambode-led administration ordered the demolition of Mosafejo section of the market, which shared boundaries with the shopping arena, and a section of Owonifari Market following, which government directed traders from Owonifari market to relocated to Isopakodowo in Oshodi.
Samuel Odum, one of the traders whose shop was demolished said: “We were only given three days notice to move out of our shops. I was unable to remove my goods before the shop was pulled down at 11pm on Friday. I got a call that government is destroying our shops, but when I got here, I met street urchins and scavengers going away with our goods. I lost over a million Naira.
“Six or three months notice would have helped us take care of our goods before the demolition. The three days given was not done with a human face and we can’t fight the government.”
Other traders, mostly men, were seen getting out their goods from the rubble as they described the demolition exercise as ‘wickedness.’
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