Traders at Mowe/Ofada market in Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State are furious after authorities razed the market without warning. They claim goods valued at more than N500 million went up in smoke during the early morning demolition on Friday.
The destruction happened around 2:00 a.m., before merchants arrived to open their stalls for business. Mrs.
Kabira Ajiboye, one of the affected traders, told reporters that officials gave them zero notice before moving in with bulldozers.
She recalled that the State Ministry of Urban and Physical Planning visited the market in 2023 with similar demolition plans. "They came during the local government election period, but when we explained that we paid our rents to the local government, they left without carrying out any demolition," Ajiboye said.
This time, there was no advance warning. "We arrived at our stalls this morning only to discover that everything had been demolished," she told journalists during an inspection of the flattened market.
Ajiboye slammed the authorities for their lack of compassion toward hundreds of traders whose livelihoods depend on the market. She argued that officials should have allowed merchants time to retrieve their goods before tearing down the shops.
"At the very least, they should have shown compassion while carrying out the exercise," she said. Armed policemen were stationed everywhere when traders arrived, she added.
The scale of destruction has left many traders in despair. Several of them borrowed money to start their businesses, and the overnight demolition has wiped out their investments.
Ajiboye appealed directly to Governor Dapo Abiodun to step in and provide an alternative trading site for the displaced merchants. Without government support, she warned, hundreds of families face an uncertain future.
Tunji Odunlami, the Ogun State Commissioner for Urban and Physical Planning, declined to comment when contacted about the demolition. The state government has not issued any official statement regarding the incident as of press time.
The traders' allegations, including their claims about the absence of warning notices and the value of destroyed goods, remain unverified. Independent confirmation of the N500 million loss and other details could not be obtained by deadline.
