By Henry Uche
Over five hundred business men and women at Agboju Second Gate Market in Amuwo- Odofin Local Government Area of Lagos, said they have lost over N1 billion worth of goods and other properties to fire outbreak recently in their shops and other properties. One of the traders who identified himself as the Chairman of Task Force of the market, Mr. Ibe Okorocha confirmed this to our reporter.
The traders accused an estate developer and others to have allegedly caused the fire that razed the market place after a threat by some thugs a week ago to burn the shops of those who refused to pay some levies imposed on them.
According to the Task Force chairman, the market area in question is in contention and is being handled by the Federal Court, Ikoyi, Lagos, with a standing order from the same court restraining the accused and others from collecting any money from the business operators till final adjudication from the court.
According to Okorocha, each of the shop owner paid over N500,000 to secure a Four- feet piece of the land yet they are been embarrassed and harassed with all manner of levies by the lessor. “The court has given an order restraining the lessor and her men from collecting money or terrorising us, this woman,” he cried out.
Ikenga along side Mr Kessio Gilbert Okereke and their thugs have tormented us since two years till date. As we speak, three of our shop owners are dead while one of us is in mortuary.
“Though the local government chairman, Mr Valentine Ibrahim has warned Ms Ukaegbu to stop harassing us but I think that warning was a mere slip of tongue because since then this woman keep afflicting us, using ferocious thugs to inflict harm on us with different weapons, as you can see injuries on our bodies,” he vented.
He said they are going to pursue the case to the end. They called on well- meaning citizens to rise up against such wickedness meted on them by unofficial group of persons who uses security personnel to unleash undue pains on small and medium size businesses in the state.