Ogun Traders Protest Midnight Demolition of Market

Traders at Mowe-Ofada Market in Obafemi Owode Local Government Area, Ogun State, protested the demolition of their market, which occurred around 2 AM on a Friday. They claimed that the Ogun State Government executed the demolition without prior notification to shop owners, affecting their businesses significantly.

Kabira Ajiboy, a trader, reported that no official communication regarding the demolition was issued, and the structures were pulled down despite previous assurances from the Ogun State Commissioner for Urban and Physical Planning during a visit in 2023. The traders stated they had paid rent to the local government and were left without any warning before discovering their shops destroyed, with losses estimated at N500 million.

Ajiboy appealed to Governor Dapo Abiodun for intervention to provide an alternative location for displaced traders. The Ogun State Commission of Urban and Physical Planning, represented by Tunji Odunlami, did not respond to calls for comment regarding the demolition.