8th March, 2012
The Aguiyi Ironsi International Trade Centre at Ladipo Market, Mushin, Lagos State, Southwest Nigeria, turned bloody Wednesday when thugs allegedly hired by one of the factional leaders of the market went on the rampage.
The Chairman of Mushin Local Government Area, Mr. Babatunde Adepitan was mobbed and attacked by the thugs allegedly hired by embattled former president of the market, Chief Jonathan Okoli. He has denied the allegation.
Okoli who was initially part of the peace meeting called by the state government through the Ministry of the Environment backed out of the peace initiative.
Instead, he dragged the Lagos State government to court over the market closure .
He insisted that any peace deal that did not retain him as the president of the market will not stand, even though his tenure expired about two years ago.
Okoli’s ambition to sit tight led to the crises among the traders in the market.
The market developer, Paramo Development Ventures, Lagos State and some traders opposing his leadership were also attacked.
Some of the traders attacked during the fracas include, Solomon Eze, Ejike Maduabuchi, Ofoka Nnaji , Okwuoto Ekeleze while several others were injured and are in various hospitals in Lagos receiving treatment.
The policemen drafted to the market were also attacked and chased away.
The council chairman went to the market to implement the Memorandum of Understanding, MOU, signed by various interest groups in the market as directed by the state government.
On getting to the market, the thugs started shouting “no to the MOU” and went where the chairman stood to address the traders. They attacked him before he was smuggled out of the market.
P.M.NEWS gathered that the state government in the MOU dissolved the various groups that have been fighting among themselves in the market.
The government mandated the council chairman to form an Elders’ Forum to be in charge of the market administration pending when election will be held.
When P.M.NEWS contacted Okoli he absolved himself of the attack on the council chairman and traders.
—Cyriacus Izuekwe