The Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), Lagos State branch, has urged the Lagos State House of Assembly to secure a six-month extension for motor spare parts and scrap dealers facing relocation from Ogunrinde Street, Super Bus Stop, Abule Egba, Lagos.

The organisation said the traders needed more time to prepare their proposed new market at Ayetobi, Amikanle, warning that forcing them to vacate their existing business premises before the alternative site is ready could disrupt their livelihoods and cause avoidable economic hardship.

In a petition to the Speaker of the House, the CDHR said the affected traders, members of the United Brothers Motor Spare Parts Dealers Association and the Scrap Dealers Association of Nigeria (NASWADEN), had been directed by the Agbado-Oke-Odo Local Council Development Area (LCDA) to leave their current locations on or before October 16, 2026.

The petition, signed by the CDHR Lagos State Branch Chairman, Adewale Ojo, acknowledged the intervention of the LCDA Chairman, Abiodun Jimoh Ishola, popularly known as Ejigbadero, who led representatives of the two associations to
Ayetobi on October 3 and allocated approximately three acres of land for their relocation.

According to the CDHR, the intervention initially raised hopes of an amicable resolution after the organisation called for meaningful consultation, adequate notice and consideration for the traders’ businesses.

It said the traders had begun preparing the new site by engaging the services of a grader to clear the grass and level the ground, demonstrating their willingness to cooperate with the authorities.

However, the organisation said the October 16 deadline was impracticable because the land still requires substantial preparation and construction before it could accommodate the businesses.

The traders, it added, needed time to construct shops, organise the market layout, make arrangements for the safe storage and transportation of their goods and equipment, and mobilise the resources required to establish their businesses at the new location.

The CDHR said that allocating land was only the first step in the relocation process and should not be treated as evidence that the alternative market was ready for immediate occupation.

It warned that an early eviction could leave traders without a suitable place to operate, interrupt their income and jeopardise investments accumulated over several years.

The organisation noted that the businesses supported not only their owners and families but also workers, apprentices and others involved in the motor spare parts and scrap trade.

It said the traders also had financial obligations, including rents, wages, school fees and business debts, which could become more difficult to meet if their operations were disrupted.

The CDHR, however, stressed that it was not opposed to the proposed relocation or the government’s drainage and environmental improvement projects.

Rather, it called for a reasonable transition period that would enable the authorities to pursue infrastructure development while protecting the economic interests and dignity of the affected traders.

It urged the House to engage the LCDA chairman and other relevant authorities to secure an extension of at least six months from the October 16 deadline.

The organisation also requested a meeting involving the market associations, the LCDA, relevant state government representatives and the CDHR to agree on a realistic relocation timetable.

It further appealed to the authorities to refrain from forceful eviction, demolition or other coercive measures while the proposed extension is being considered.

The petition called for clarification on the status and conditions of the land allocated at Ayetobi, including its suitability for a market, the permitted use of the site and any restrictions arising from its location beneath a power-line corridor.

It also urged the authorities to ensure transparency in the allocation process, including any fee or other financial obligation imposed on the traders, and to consider a phased relocation based on the progress of work at the new site.

The CDHR said the traders were not seeking to remain permanently at their existing locations but wanted sufficient time to establish the alternative market and move their businesses without undermining their sources of livelihood.

It appealed to the Assembly to intervene urgently to prevent a possible confrontation and promote a peaceful resolution that accommodates both the government’s infrastructure plans and the welfare of the affected traders.