Traders operating under the Agbajowo Dealers and Artisans Market Association in the Owode Onirin area of Lagos State have raised the alarm over threats by suspected land grabbers to take over their market.

The traders, who claimed to have legitimate documents allocating the land to them, also called on Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the Lagos State House of Assembly to intervene and safeguard their livelihoods.

Speaking to TheNigerian Metro on Saturday, the Chairman, Thaddeus Idaewor, alleged that there plans to demolish the market and chase the traders away despite the association’s possession of documents issued by the state government.

Idaewor noted that the market, which is divided into five zones dealing with sales of motor parts, aluminum, metal scraps, tyres and others, has been in operation for years, adding that the traders also paid their taxes and dues up-to-date.

He said, “We have gathered here to address a pressing issue that threatens the livelihoods of over 5,000 market men and women. We are facing a serious challenge from suspected land grabbers who are threatening to take over our market. These individuals are claiming ownership of the land, despite our legitimate documents allocating the site to us by the state government.

“We have been operating here for years, paying our taxes and dues up to date to the state government. Yet, they are trying to chase us away and take possession of the land illegally.

“That is why we are calling on Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mojisola Meranda, and other government officials to come to our aid. We urge them to intervene in this matter and safeguard our rights to operate our businesses in this market.”

Idaewor also revealed it was not the first time the traders had faced threats of eviction.

According to him, some thugs accompanied by the task force attempted to demolish the market in September but were stopped by the intervention of a member of the House of Representatives, Femi Saheed.

“We are calling on President (Bola) Tinubu also to intervene in our case. He knows this market. Look at where we are sourcing our income from, they should not allow some people to come and put fire in our market,” he begged.

A member of the Elders Council in the market, Moshood Tijani, recalled that it was a former Military Administrator, Adekunle Lawal, who ensured the relocation of the market to the place.

“Everyone in the market is law-abiding. We are paying our taxes and dues up to date to the state government.

“We are still hearing the rumour that these people are coming after last September’s plan. That’s why we are calling for the government’s intervention,” he added.

The Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama, Abuja, on Monday, adjourned the arraignment of a lawyer and two others in connection with the alleged unlawful eviction, criminal intimidation, and threat to the life of one Ms. Asabe Waziri to February 17.

Justice Samira Bature adjourned the matter in the absence of two of the accused persons in charge.

In the charge marked CR/222/2023, instituted by the Federal Government, a property developer, Cecil Osakwe; a legal practitioner, Victor Giwa, and Edith Erhunmuuse, are to be arraigned on nine counts.

Count one alleges that the three defendants “sometime in 2022, in Abuja, Nigeria, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, conspired and broke into the house of one Ms. Asabe Waziri, located at Mekong Street, Maitama, Abuja, with the assistance of some police officers now at large, without her knowledge or consent, and carted away her entire property worth N300m, including her passport and cash.”

The charge states that the defendants thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 96 of the Penal Code Law and punishable under Section 97 of the same law.

Count two alleges that the defendants “conspired and agreed to take the law into their own hands by unlawfully breaking into the house of Ms. Asabe Waziri, with the assistance of some police officers now at large, without an enforcement order of the relevant court, and destroyed her door and other property worth N300m.”

At a previous sitting, the court had threatened to issue an arrest warrant against the second defendant, Giwa, for failing to appear for arraignment.

At Monday’s resumed hearing, the arraignment was again postponed for the fourth time because the first (Osakwe) and second (Giwa) defendants were absent. However, the third defendant (Erhunmuuse) was present in court without legal representation.

The prosecution counsel, M. O. Una, expressed frustration over the repeated adjournments. He noted that the defendants’ counsel had sent yet another letter seeking an adjournment, describing the development as unfortunate given the history of the case.

Una argued that the persistent non-appearance of the defendants clearly showed they were avoiding arraignment.

“My Lord, since the matter was transferred to this court, the defendants have been seeking adjournments, and the court has been magnanimously granting them,” he said.

He pointed out that since the defendants’ counsel’s firm had multiple lawyers, representation should not be difficult.

The prosecution also refuted claims by Giwa’s law firm that the parties were working towards a settlement, noting that the nominal complainant was present in court and could attest to the contrary.

Una urged the court to compel the absent accused persons to appear before it.

Justice Bature, in response, threatened to issue an arrest warrant against Giwa and Osakwe over their repeated failures to appear for arraignment.

In a brief ruling, Justice Bature adjourned the matter until February 17 for arraignment. She warned that if the first and second defendants failed to appear on that date —a date suggested by them— the court would have no option but to grant the prosecution’s request to compel their appearance.