Lagos govt demolishes 19 buildings at Trade Fair Plaza, traders lament

By the time of filing this report, several targeted buildings inside the plaza had already been reduced to rubble, sparking outrage among shop owners, many of whom claimed they were not given prior notice.

One trader, speaking reluctantly, said: “We don’t even know the reason for the demolition. That’s why you see people moving up and down, asking questions.” Another speculated that the affected structures may have been marked for being too close to a canal.

A visibly agitated plaza owner, who arrived as his shop was being pulled down, shouted from his car that no notice was served before the bulldozers moved in. Several sales representatives also lamented that their bosses’ goods, still locked inside shops, were destroyed along with the buildings.

Distraught traders told Vanguard that no fewer than 19 buildings, each valued at over N150 million, were affected. One trader fumed: “If government doesn’t want companies or development here, they should just come out and say it. People have invested their life savings here. Over 19 buildings are in that plaza.”

READ ALSO:

• Two men sold fake watch to me for $290,000 – Dariye
• TikTok: US moves for ownership as Donald Trump signs order
• Olubadan: Tinubu, Atiku, others for Ladoja’s coronation today

Another trader, Chief Magnus Ike, Chief Executive Officer, Magnus Merchandise, watched as his multi-billion-Naira property stood no chance against the bulldozers. He insisted he had federal approval for the structure: “Honestly, I have not been served any notice from the Lagos State Government whatsoever. The only notices we get here are from the Federal Government, and we comply. This building was inspected. Even the Ministry of Environment has been here. If there is any problem, the proper thing is to notify us. You don’t just let people borrow bank money, take loans, and then crush their investment overnight.”

Dismissing claim that his property sat on a canal, he gestured around: “Look for yourself, there is no canal here. Whatever their reason is, due process demands notice. None was given.”

Yet, standing defiantly amid the ruins, said: “Demolition or not, I will continue to build. Lagos is for all of us, we go nowhere.”