Ayodele Samuel,Lagos
Yesterday, the Lagos State government commenced the demolition of about 40 year old Owonifari Electronic market in Oshodi, which displaced over 1000 traders.
Traders in the market said the demolition has rendered over 10 thousand people jobless.
Officials of the Lagos State Government lead by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode had stormed the popular market located at the loop in Oshodi early hours of Wednesday to commence the demolition exercise.
Ambode was accompanied by the Commissioner for Environment, Babatunde Adejare, officials of Kick Against Indiscipline, the police and other top government functionaries to supervise the exercise.
Traders however laments that they were deprived the opportunity to remove their goods before demolition; even after they rushed down to the market with the aim to remove their goods, "we were prevented from entering our shops by heavily armed officers," Ebuka Austin told our reporter.
Peoples Daily Correspondent who witness the demolition gathered that most of the traders whose property were destroyed had travelled home for the Yuletide and New Year celebration and are yet to return.
Few traders however were seen salvaging few properties from the rumbles of the demolition, lamenting that goods worth millions of naira have been lost to the demolition.
The Owonifari Market is famous for the sales of used and new electronics.
