Nearly six months after the Nigeria Police Force demolished the market on December 31, 2023, the displaced traders of the Police Officers’ Wives Association Shopping Complex are still seeking justice.
PUNCH Metro reported on January 1, 2024, that witnesses said no fewer than four bulldozers, manned by armed police officers, were at the complex during the demolition.
The demolition, according to the Force Public Relations Officer Muyiwa Adejobi, was necessary to make way for the start of building a contemporary retail complex on the same property.
Adejobi added that specialists’ recommendations —which indicated that the complex posed a serious environmental risk— were taken into consideration while deciding whether to rebuild the complex.
“The decision to demolish and reconstruct is predicated on the fact that professional opinion indicates that the structure as it is constitutes a looming environmental hazard, as the site is prone to flooding and may collapse.
“There is also the need for immediate landscaping and reconstruction. The planned demolition and reconstruction will be in phases and are in good faith for the best interest of all concerned.
“All necessary legal requirements have been duly met. The current occupants of the complex have been given more than enough notice of the demolition to enable them to evacuate from the facility in good time,” the spokesperson partly said in a statement.
In a statement on Monday, the affected traders accused the Managing Director, Achieving Greatness Limited, Mr Emmanuel Ojibo, and Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun and his wife, Elizabeth Egbetokun, of breaching a court order stopping the force from proceeding with the demolition.
The aggrieved traders further stated that they sought permission from the court to use alternative means after attempting in vain to serve Form 48 (Notice of Consequences of Disobedience to Order of Court) on the IGP, his spouse, developer, and other respondents.
“The traders commenced contempt proceedings against the Inspector General of Police, his wife, Mrs Elizabeth Egbetokun, and the Managing Director of Achieving Greatness Limited, Mr Emmanuel Ojibo, for the wilful disobedience of the order of the court dated December 18, 2023, by demolishing the properties lying and situated at No. 30-33, Otigba Street, Computer Village, Ikeja, Lagos State, when the matter was pending before the court.
“This court had earlier granted the Order of pre-emotive remedies restraining the wife of the IG and the developers, amongst others, from demolishing the property known as No.30-33 Otigba Street, Computer Village, Ikeja, Lagos State, pending full compliance with the pre-action protocol and filing of the substantive action in this suit dated December 18, 2023.
“Despite the above extant order of the court, IGP sanctioned the demolition of the complex, throwing over 1000 computer and information technology traders out of business,” the traders said in a statement made available to our correspondent.
The group claimed that their members had lost about two people, while others were battling with various health conditions since the demolition of their properties.
The traders lamented, “We are businessmen and not criminals, but we were treated as one in the mid-night of December 2023, while everyone travelled for Christmas and New Year holidays. Over 200 policemen surrounded our business premises, and caterpillar raised it down after serving. We were served an unofficial 24-hour notice.
“We paid our taxes and tenement rate that same year; our rents were still running, yet this could not stop the IGP from carrying out inhumane acts against fellow Nigerians.
“This same building carried out an integrity test and was certified to be fit for the next 50 years, and as such, there was no need for this reckless act against fellow citizens.”
