Traders, occupying 7, Post Office Road, Oshodi, Lagos State, were thrown into confusion, when children of the owner of the buildings led some people to demolish the property.
The traders complained that before the family members carried out the demolition, they served them seven days quit notice on January 17 under the guise that they wanted to renovate the buildings.
They also said that when they informed their different landlords, they were told to discountenance the notice, stressing that those who brought the notices were inconsequential.
PUNCH METRO gathered that the twin two-storey buildings containing no fewer than 30 shops belonged to late Chief Ekenrin, who had six wives and many children.
It was further learnt that the demolition was as a result of family feud and fight for supremacy among the family members.
A trader, who sells jeans materials, Mr. Donatus Onuegbu, decried the unfortunate situation, wondering why they should resort to demolishing the buildings not long after he had paid rent for two years.
Onuegbu said, “Today, suddenly, some group of touts and children of the late landlord stormed the buildings and started forcing traders out of their shops and throwing out our goods. We went to Akinpelu Police Station, Oshodi, to report the illegal ejection as there was no court order.
“They only gave us seven days notice, which they said was from the Lagos State Government Secretariat, Alausa. But when we investigated, we realised it was all farce. When we went to the police station to make entry, we were asked to pay and we did. After that, some policemen followed us. When they got to the scene, they took sides with our oppressors and abandoned us to our fate.
“We want the Lagos State Government to intervene in the matter. If actually they want to renovate their houses as they claimed, they should have done the right thing by giving us back our money and adequate notice. I cannot just lose more than N300,000 which I paid for two years and have not spent up to a year.”
Another trader, Mr. Oliver Mgbe, told PUNCH METRO that he had been rendered hopeless by the action.
He asked, “How am I going to pick the pieces? It was not long I paid them for four shops. I have not used close to half of the money I paid before the demolition. I want the government to quickly intervene.”
When PUNCH METRO spoke with a member of the family, who identified himself simply as Chief Akinrogun of Lagos, he said, “We are doing environmental sanitation in our father’s buildings. We are repairing the houses because we do not want the government to acquire them and the traders had been given notice to quit their shops.”
However, the policemen at the scene refused to talk with our correspondent, but one of them said they were called to restore order to avert an impending free-for-all between the traders and owners of the property.
Our correspondent, who was at the scene of the demolition, noticed the presence of policemen who barricaded the road, preventing motorists and road users from passing through the Post Office Road.
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