Sanwo-Olu Faces Backlash: Stand with CHSR Against Shop Demolitions"

LASBCA alleges that traders are not provided sufficient notice and have no legitimate rights.

Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the governor of Lagos State, has been urged by the Centre for Human and Socio-economic Rights (CHSR) to carry out an exhaustive and unbiased investigation into the demolition of more than 500 stores at the Owode Motor Spare Parts Market in Owode-Onirin.

Speaking to the media at the market, CHSR President Comrade Alex Omotehinse urged the Governor to carry out a thorough investigation in order to find and prosecute those who were responsible for the unlawful demolition of the traders' shops. He also stated that the constitution's guarantees of property rights and the rule of law must be respected.

In order to enforce a certain judgment against a portion of the market, the Agbajoowo market, which shares a boundary with the Owode motor spare parts market, the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) men and officers, a few police officers, and hundreds of thugs carrying various dangerous weapons invaded the Owode market on Thursday, March 6, 2025, he said.

Although there is no disagreement regarding the boundaries, it is well known that there has been a legal dispute over ownership of the land where the Agbajoowo market was located for a number of years. To our dismay, With a retinue of unauthorized personnel, LASBCA, a government agency, assaulted our market in a gestapo fashion and quickly destroyed over 500 stores.

There are six zones in the market. Every day, thousands of traders and more than 200 stores in each zone rely on the market's sales for their socioeconomic well-being.

"Unfortunately, during the alleged enforcement of the aforementioned LASBCA ruling on Agbajoowo market, they broke into and destroyed more than 400 stores in Zones M and 5 alone, destroying goods valued at billions of naira."

In response, LASBCA said that the traders were given multiple notifications to vacate the land after a court ruling against them, but they decided to disregard it, according to Adu Ademuyiwa, Director of the Public Affairs Unit.