The Oyo State government, led by Governor Seyi Makinde, has recently carried out the demolition of over 400 shops in the Alegongo market, located in the Akobo area of Ibadan, the state capital.
The demolition, which began earlier this week, has left traders in a state of distress as they hurriedly packed up their goods amidst the destruction.
Eyewitnesses who were present during the demolition reported how the market was torn down while trading materials and goods were scattered across the ground.
The demolition was done swiftly, with traders struggling to salvage their goods as their shops were destroyed.
The Alegongo market demolition has sparked widespread concerns, particularly among the affected traders.
Traders have voiced their anger and distress, holding up placards with inscriptions such as, “Alegongo Market: Market traders are begging our dear governor to please have mercy on us”, “We the masses are begging you our father”, “We are begging, please come to our aid”, “Your Excellency, we are begging you, please don’t let them demolish our shops”, among others.
However, their pleas appear to have fallen on deaf ears. Local government authorities proceeded with the demolition despite the traders’ protests.
The government had reportedly earlier given an ultimatum to the affected traders and business owners, which expired the previous day, leaving them with little time to relocate.
Bimpe, a resident in the area, expressed concern over the demolition, saying, “Honestly, we are worried about the fate of our businesses and livelihoods, as this sudden demolition has caught us off guard.”
Traders have also raised concerns about the lack of clarity regarding the reasons behind the demolition.
Ajibola Keru, one of the leaders of the traders, voiced frustration over the lack of dialogue between the government and traders.
“Although the government has the power to do whatever it deems fit, we, the traders who have had letters of allocation for these spaces for over 20 years, expected that the local government would have called us to a meeting before making the decision to demolish,” he said.
A government official, who chose to remain anonymous, defended the demolition.
”The demolition is for the benefit of the residents and business owners, as the local government authority is only trying to modernize the area,” he stated.
