The Lagos State government has demolished shanties and other illegal buildings at the popular Agboju Market, in Festac Town, the News Agency of Nigeria is reporting.
As the demolition was ongoing, traders, mechanics, and other artisans operating on the zone wept as they counted their losses on Sunday.
The task force conducting the demolition, according to the publication, were working for the Federal Housing Authority (FHA).
More than 100 shops, shanties, and other buildings were said to be pulled down by the task force.
While some traders and artisans hurriedly moved out some of their wares and tools, others were taken by surprise.
Some churches operating at the place were seen moving their property, removing the roofs and gates away in case of demolition.
Speaking, Vice president of the Nigerian Automobile Technicians Association (NATA), Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area, Isaac Kadiri, described the demotion as a disaster.
“We believe that if the government wants to chase us away, it should be able to give us an alternative, but they just gave us seven days’ notice to leave.
“We had an alternative place at 6th Avenue that was given to us by Festac Town Residents Association (FTRA) and Federal Housing Authority (FHA) but the place is not ready.
“We put the access roads here, but look at what we are losing. We have lost more than N100 million here. What we have lost here we can’t gain back.
“We have mechanics, battery chargers, vulcanizers, panel beaters, and painters as our members.
“We were served the seven days’ ultimatum through Lagos State Task Force, which claimed FHA invited it to carry out the demolition.”
Mr Kadri called on the government to urgently provide an alternative place for the artisans and others affected by the demolition.
“We want the government to give us a place where we can earn our living. If it says the site is ready tomorrow, we will move.
“We were paying rent to Amuwo Odofin Local Government. We are paying tax to Lagos State Government. We pay rent of N10,000 each, per annum. We are more than 5,000 artisans,” he lamented.
A panel beater and painter Hamad Tijani said that the place was just bushes and swamps when they first came but they sand-filled the place and many people were benefitting from what they did there.
“Government should help us as citizens of this country. There is no place for us to go,” he said.
A cleric in Festac Town who pleaded anonymity appealed to FHA to show mercy to the affected occupants.
He said that many Nigerians were undergoing hardship occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic, insecurity, and economic difficulty and did not need additional trouble.
He said that although the government had a right to its property, the timing of the demolition was wrong and the notice short