Market association demands justice for victims of land grabbers’ invasion
Owode-Onirin International Motor Spare Parts Association has called for the immediate arrest and prosecution of an alleged land grabber and police officers accused of complicity in a violent invasion of
Owode-Onirin International Motor Spare Parts Association has called for the immediate arrest and prosecution of an alleged land grabber and police officers accused of complicity in a violent invasion of the market.
The traders are therefore seeking justice for traders who lost their lives and many others injured during the invasion of the market by the suspected land grabber and the security agencies.
Addressing journalists during a press briefing at the market, a member of the market’s working committee, Mr. Abdulazeez Morohunmubo, dismissed claims that the crisis was the handiwork of a private individual acting alone, insisting that the demolition of the market was carried out with the full backing of Lagos State authorities.
He said: “Our market is being demolished by the Lagos State Government with all ramifications
“This is not the work of a land grabber acting independently. All the machinery of the state was involved.”
According to Morohunmubo, traders have operated peacefully for decades, paid government dues, and maintained cordial relations with authorities and host communities.
Advertisement
300x250
Trouble, he said, began about two years ago following threats of demolition during the tenure of a former local council chairman.
He explained that, in response, the traders processed and obtained a Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) from the Lagos State Government, only to later discover that approval had allegedly been granted for the demolition of the same land.
He further alleged that the demolition exercise involved officials of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), the Lagos State Task Force, armed police officers, and other security operatives, which, he said, confirmed traders’ suspicions of official backing.
The crisis escalated in August 2025 when armed men, allegedly led by a suspected land grabber identified as Akeem Ariori, invaded the market.
Traders claim that police officers escorted the assailants and that at least six market members were killed during the attack.
Morohunmubo said no government official publicly condemned the killings, despite the fact that the Lagos State Commissioner of Police later visited the scene and ordered the arrest of some officers.
Another trader, Mr. Akinpelu Olamilekan, a spare parts dealer, said the demolition of the market on March 6 was carried out without a valid court judgment binding on the traders’ union.
He alleged that despite advice from security and legal authorities to maintain the status quo pending resolution of the dispute, Ariori allegedly returned to the market on August 26 with hundreds of armed thugs, leading to widespread destruction of goods and vehicles worth hundreds of millions of naira.
Advertisement
300x250
Olamilekan further alleged that the following day, gunmen returned to the market and opened fire, resulting in multiple deaths and injuries.
He claimed that prompt intervention by the Lagos State Commissioner of Police prevented further loss of lives.
Read Also: Ex-minister Betta Edu pushes for stronger U.S.–Nigeria collaboration
Calling for urgent intervention, the traders demanded the arrest and prosecution of Ariori and the police officers allegedly involved, compensation for families of those killed, and an independent investigation into the demolition and violence.
“We are law-abiding citizens. Human beings are not animals that should be killed. These were promising young people whose families depend on this market,” he said.
Advertisement
300x250
Earlier report had highlighted, the Commissioner of Police, CP Olohundare Jimoh assuring traders of Owode-Onirin Spare Parts Market of his commitment to justice over the incident.
The commissioner gave the assurance during a meeting with traders at the market on Friday afternoon, where he received a rousing welcome.
Addressing concerns raised by the traders, Jimoh clarified that the structures demolished in the area were not pulled down by the Lagos State Government but by a land grabber, who, he said, has since been arrested.
Owode-Onirin motor spare part market, a major hub for motor spare parts traders, was established in 1979 during the administration of late Governor Lateef Kayode Jakande, following the relocation of traders from a former site.
The market has since grown into one of the largest auto spare parts centres in West Africa, attracting traders and buyers from across Nigeria and neighbouring countries.
