Traders injured as thugs, land grabbers invade Lagos market

Several traders were left injured in a renewed hostility which broke out on Thursday on the usual Owode Motor Spare Formulation Market, Lagos, following the alleged invasion of the market by heavily armed policemen and thugs in a renewed wave of demolitions.
In response to traders on the scene, the early morning operation captivating using caterpillars to waste shops. On the same time, police operatives fired photographs into the air to disperse resisting market occupants.
Files from eyewitnesses, supported by pictorial and video evidence, published that many traders were injured within the fracas, which lasted for a entire lot of hours.
This incident followed an earlier raid on March 6, 2025, at some level of which over 500 shops were demolished, sparking frequent protests. A formal petition changed into once subsequently submitted to both the Lagos Direct Dwelling of Assembly and Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on March 27. And not using a governmental intervention forthcoming, affected traders became to the courts.
The case, dealt with by B.I. Olowu vs Shomolu and Kosofe Local Governments (Swimsuit No. ID/1757/1994) is within the intervening time earlier than an Ikeja Excessive Court, which on June 2 issued an injunction ordering all events to preserve the spot quo pending the next hearing scheduled for July 2, 2025.
Reacting to the fracas, the Centre for Human and Socio-financial Rights (CHSR), via its President, Comrade Alex Omotehinse, appealed to the Assistant Inspector Classic of Police, Zone 2, and the Lagos Direct Commissioner of Police, CP Moshood Jimoh, to intervene at once.
“On the present time, Thursday, June 19, 2025, we reliably gathered that the land grabbers mobilised heaps of of thugs and fully armed policemen of their dozens to invade the Owode Motor Spare Formulation Market this morning to waste shops, while the policemen were capturing sporadically to fear the traders from stopping the land grabbers caterpillar from destroying their shops and has injured some traders.
“We hereby use this medium in calling on the AIG Zone 2 and the Commissioner of Police, Lagos Expose, CP. Moshood Jimoh, to posthaste name the policemen to reveal, as there is a Lagos Excessive Court reveal of spot quo pending the resolution of the suit earlier than the courtroom.
“We hereby allure to the police authorities to posthaste address these issues as a topic of urgency to handbook clear of the breakdown of public reveal and security, as a delay in enforcing discipline can even simply consequence in an incitement of the final public.
Right here is the very best time to promote and take the rule of thumb of laws, because the events concerned within the Owode Motor Spare Formulation Market grasp their topic earlier than a courtroom of competent jurisdiction.
“Right here's a sure violation of the rule of thumb of laws,” acknowledged Omotehinse, stressing that “persisted police involvement in defiance of a courtroom reveal threatens public peace and erodes self belief in optimistic institutions.”
One amongst the aggrieved traders, Solomon Joel, expressed apprehension that if the action isn't any longer urgently suspended, there's on the total a breakdown of laws and reveal. Community leaders are calling on police authorities to examine the actions of the officers captivating and guarantee that that justice is served.
All efforts to procure a response from the Lagos Direct Police Expose were unsuccessful, as calls made to the PPRO’s cell phone didn’t connect.