Traders in Daleko Market in Mushin Local Government area of Lagos State on Thursday sent a Save-Our-Soul (SOS) message to the State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, over plans to demolish the market.
The traders also submitted copies of the SOS message to the Lagos State House of Assembly in Alausa, Ikeja.
The traders appealed to the governor and the House of Assembly to prevail on Mushin Local Government to stop the plan to demolish the market.
They described the market as their only source of livelihood.
Mr Adebayo Egunjobi, a representative of the traders, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that they were in Alausa to formally lodge complaints of inhuman treatment to them by the council.
Egunjobi said it was unfair to be asked to relocate in two weeks from a market in which they had been for more than 30 years as traders.
“On Feb.15, we met a letter at the gate from the local government, signed by one Prince Olujobi, an administration officer, asking us to vacate the market in two weeks,” he said.
Egunjobi said that at no time were the traders informed of the planned demolition until last week, nor were the traders informed of what would become of them when the market was rebuilt.
He said the over 300 traders in the market would be deprived of their means of livelihood should the market be demolished without alternative plans for the traders.
Egunjobi said that the traders were not opposed to the plan to rebuild the market, but insisted that “the rule of law, democratic principles, and civil etiquette be observed while ejecting them”.
“We heard that the developer will move to demolish the market anytime from now and will destroy anything in sight notwithstanding the short notice.
“We have not been told what will happen to us after the development; we have being treated as if we are nobody, whereas we have always paid our rents to the local government,” he said.
Egunjobi appealed to the governor and the House of Assembly to intervene and ensure that justice prevailed.
The traders urged the government to ensure they would be considered when the market was rebuilt, adding that by so doing their right and privileges would have been protected.
NAN had reported on Sunday that one of the traders, Baba Chaori, fainted when the Iyaloja-General of Lagos, Alhaja Folashade Tinubu-Ojo, in company of some council officials visited the market.
Chaori, a trader of over 25 years in the market, said he thought the planned demolition was a rumour.
“But with the visit of the Iyaloja and others and their discussions showed that the demolition rumour is real,” Chaori said. (NAN)