Lagos Threatens To Shut Mile 12 Market

The Lagos State Government has threatened to shut down the popular Mile 12 Market, Lagos, South West Nigeria over persistent traffic gridlock on the highway caused by traders in the market.

Officials of the Lagos State Ministry of Transportation and the Lagos State Taskforce on Environment and Offences (Enforcement) Unit visited the market on Tuesday to issue final warning to the leadership of the market to put things in order or risk closure.

The government also vowed to punish traders who sell or park perishable food-laden vehicles on the road, saying efforts had been made by the state government to control vehicles coming into to the market.

The General Manager, Lagos State Transport Management Authority, LASTMA, Engr. Babatunde Edu, said the persistent gridlock was caused by the last strike over fuel subsidy removal , but warned that lawlessness would not be condoned by the government.

According to him, there was no reason why all the trucks should besiege Lagos at the same time when there is no place for them to park, saying that the market leaders had been told to park other articulated tucks along Ibafo axis to enable the ones in the market leave before they move into the market.

“At inception, we had about 200 trucks here; that was the height at which the whole thing went back. What you see now is a reflection of what we saw in the past. So some of their trucks are left in Ibafo now and some are the toll gate.

“Once there is space in the market and communication mechanism put in place, they will just tell themselves may be about five of them to come rather than unnecessarily block our roads. We will not allow anybody to come in here except we have spaces,” he stated.

Taskforce Chairman, Bayo Sulaiman warned the traders to stop selling their wares on the road, saying that “this is the last warning for those selling on the road. We have talked to the market leaders and market women because after the warning, we shall begin enforcement. Why we are doing this now is due to the situation of things in the country. That’s why we are carrying them along now to inform them about what they need to do.”

— Kazeem Ugbodaga