The peace and tranquility that pervade the
popular Ile-Epo Market in Abule Oke-Odo area
of Lagos State was truncated on January 7,
2016 when some persons suspected to be
members of the National Union of Road
Transport Workers, NURTW invaded the
market with guns, cutlasses and broken
bottles.
The touts who shot sporadically allegedly
injured several traders traders and their
customers. Vanguard Metro, VM leant that the
traders and their customers scampered in
different directions for safety as the stern -
looking invaders allegedly made straight for
some members of the Ile-Epo Central Market
Union, inflicting bodily injuries on them with
their weapons.
Angered by this development, the traders
recently stormed the office of Governor
Akinwunmi Ambode to seek his immediate
intervention to avert the looming disaster in
the once peaceful market.
The genesis of the fracas could be traced to
2011 when a move was made by the union to
create a motor park in the market in order to
generate revenue from truck drivers conveying
commodities to the market. The move was
vehemently resisted by the central leadership
of the market comprising chairmen from Igbo
and Hausa traders as well the Iya loja and
Baba Oloja from the Yoruba community.
VM learnt that leaders of the market reported
the case to the Police which compelled some
members of the union suspected to be fueling
the matter to sign an undertaking. The
undertaking was however breached two days
after when the touts invaded the market.
Among those who sustained injuries were
Makinde Adesina 29 and Tanimona Dele 38
who lungs were pierced through with
machetes. Also injured is one Ganiyu who
reportedly had his knee perforated by bullets
and was referred to the Lagos University
Teaching Hospital, LASUTH where he would
undergo surgery to extract the pellets.
Protests
The traders who came in their numbers to the
Alausa office of the Governor, cut across sex
and ages. Carrying placards some of which
read : ‘‘Enough is enough for NURTW in
Agbado-Oke-Odo market,’ ‘No more
intimidation in Agbado-Oke-Odo mareket,’
‘Our dear Governor Ambode, save Oke-Odo
traders from Engineer Famuyiwa and ‘Our
lives are in danger in Oke-Odo market,’ the
traders alleged that their present plight was
instigated by some officials of the Agbado
Oke-Odo Local Council Development Area.
They further alleged that the motor park touts
were on the pay roll of the said official.
Led by Mr. Livinus Njoku who chairs one of
the unions, the protesters called on Governor
Ambode to call officials of the local
government as well as the NURTW members
to order before the situation gets out of
control.
“These touts have continued to threaten us.
Last Thursday, they almost killed three
persons. Several traders sustained injuries
while three of us are still in the hospital
receiving treatment as a result of the fire they
opened on defenseless traders. We are
therefore appealing to you sir, to wade into
the matter and save our lives,” they pleaded.
“A senior official of the Council is responsible
for the crisis. We have always wanted him to
deal with us as market officials but he wanted
NURTW to control the market. Inside the
market, there is no motor park, so why should
they leave the road and enter the market. We
had an agreement to be remitting N100,000
every month. But in the month of November
2015, the same Local Council sent people to
come and disrupt the agreement we had by
printing and collecting tolls themselves. They
blackmailed us by alleging that we were
collecting money from innocent people but not
allowing them to operate and collect their own
money. They used money to harass, arrest
and send us to court. It was while we were
arrested that the NURTW launched the attack
on traders,” they further alleged.
Also recounting their ordeal another trader,
Modupe Akani, stated , “ Touts in the market
led by the Executive Secretary of Agbado Oke-
Odo is causing problems to us. They impose
high taxes on us as tickets. For instance, we
pay N500 and above daily to them, depending
on what you are selling. The government
should please come to our aid”.
The traders warned that if nothing was done
to stem the crisis, “a massive calamity never
witnessed in the history of markets in Lagos
State might befall Agbado Oke-Odo LCDA
soon”.
“If the government and lovers of peace in
Lagos State do not call some officials of
Agbado Oke-Odo Local Council Development
Area and their rampaging thugs of NURTW to
order, there would be crisis”, they said
warned.
After submitting their letter at the Governor’s
Office, the protesters proceeded to the State
House of Assembly where the Deputy Speaker
, Hon. Wasiu Eshilokun advised them to seek
the way of peace as an alternative in
resolving the matter.
He assured that the House would continue to
ensure that lives and properties in the market
were protected through peaceful process.
Efforts by VM to get the reaction of the
Chairman NURTW, Lagos State, Alhaji
Tajudeen Agbede failed as his phone rang
without response.
Vanguard.
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