Action targeted illegal, defective structures, govt insists
Traders at the Trade Fair Complex in the Ojo area of Lagos State yesterday defied early morning rain to stage a protest against the Lagos State Government’s demolition of shops worth several billions of naira in the market.
Carrying banners with various inscriptions, the protesters called on the government to stop the demolition exercise. Some of the messages on the banners read: “We are law-abiding citizens,” “Stop destroying our buildings,” “We can’t have two landlords, Federal Government/Lagos State Government,” “We are peaceful people,” and “Stop destroying our properties.”
The state government began demolishing structures at the Trade Fair Complex on Thursday, September 25, 2025. Bulldozers pulled down marked buildings as traders and shop owners watched anxiously, worried about the impact on their businesses.
Speaking with The Guardian, Chief Security Officer (CSO) of the All Progress Traders Association of Nigeria, Lagos International Trade Fair, Chuka Mekaowulu, said: “We decided to stage this protest due to the demolition action. The Lagos State Government jumped into the Trade Fair Complex and started demolishing buildings, demanding approval; meanwhile, we have approvals from the Federal Government.
“We are asking both the Federal and the Lagos State governments who will be our landlord. The Lagos State Government never contacted us or made any demands before the demolition, and no notice was given ahead of time. We don’t know who to have a meeting with between the two arms of government; we are on Federal Government land, so we are confused on who to approach.”
Speaking on the losses incurred, he added: “Due to the demolition, the market has lost over N1.5 billion worth of goods; at this moment, we are yet to calculate the worth of the buildings demolished by the state government. We incurred too much loss and it seems we are being targeted by the government. We are not happy, so we want intervention.”
Meanwhile, Spaces for Change (S4C) has criticised the demolitions, describing them as a violation of economic rights. In a statement by its Executive Director, Victoria Ibezim-Ohaeri, the group described the demolitions as unlawful and called for justice.
According to her, the demolitions, directed by the state government, selectively targeted a series of buildings under the guise of “removing illegal developments, structures without statutory approvals, defective structures, and structures built on road setbacks and drainage.”
She added, “However, our team visited the demolition site, and findings reveal key facts that not only contradict the state government’s position but also highlight grave injustices and economic sabotage.
“The team met with several victims of the demolitions, the Executive Director/CEO of the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex Management Board and the management team of the Complex, the president of the traders’ association, and other key stakeholders, who shared their versions of the incident.”
The management and administration of the Trade Fair Complex are governed by the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex Management Board Act of 1993, which empowers the Board to manage the buildings and regulate the construction of new structures within the complex.
S4C noted that the Board has the authority to grant leases to investors and business owners for building construction, a claim corroborated by accounts from affected traders.
It stated: “Victims further alleged that they have building approvals issued by the Board through the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing. This directly contradicts the claims of the Lagos State Government about the status of the approval for these buildings, which are directly under the administration of the Federal Government.
“In addition, the demolitions were carried out without prior notice to either the Board or the business owners, nor prior consultation with key stakeholders. Those protesting the demolitions by security agencies and non-state actors mobilised by the state were physically abused. Collectively, these acts have thrown victims into a state of despair, with some of them hospitalised as they are in severe shock and health distress following the demolitions.”
The group called on the Lagos State Government to reverse its actions and compensate victims. It also urged closer collaboration between the state government and the Board “to stop the occurrence of this brazen act of injustice.”
It further demanded that “those responsible for this unconstitutional act” be held accountable, stating that “anything less is a betrayal of the people’s trust and an affront to humanity itself.
However, Senior Special Assistant on New Media to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Jubril Gawat, said the demolition targeted “illegal developments, structures without statutory approvals, defective structures, and buildings erected on road setbacks and drainages.”
According to him, the government could no longer “fold its arms while unapproved developments blocked critical infrastructure and endangered lives.”
