Traders lament N500m losses in Mowe-Ofada market demolition

Traders at the Mowe/Ofada Market in Obafemi Owode Local Council, Ogun State, have lamented the loss of goods worth over N500 million as the Ministry of Urban and Physical Planning demolished the market.

Accusing the government of being insensitive to the plight of the dealers despite the current economic situation, they alleged that the state government carried out the demolition exercise without prior notice.

One of the traders, Mrs Kabira Ajiboye, expressed disappointment with the exercise, saying the government should have shown compassion while carrying it out, which began last Friday. They should have allowed us to remove our goods before demolishing our shops. This is a bad omen.

She lamented that many of the traders had taken loans to start their small businesses, expressing concern that the demolition had left them distraught and unsure of how to earn a living going forward.

Ajiboye queried: “How can you whip people and still expect them to smile? We got here this morning and saw armed policemen stationed everywhere.”

According to her, the ministry had visited the market before the local council elections in 2023 to demolish the facility, but suspended it on hearing that the traders paid their rent to the council authority.

This time, however, “there was no demolition notice whatsoever. We arrived at our stalls this morning only to discover that everything had been demolished. Goods worth over N500 million have been destroyed.”

She called on Governor Dapo Abiodun to designate a new location for the affected traders to relocate their various ventures.

Meanwhile, the Ogun State Commissioner for Urban and Physical Planning, Tunji Odunlami, declined to comment on the development.