Traders seek IG wife’s support to stop Lagos market demolition

Traders at the Pedro Police Officers Wives Association market in the Somolu area of Lagos State have appealed to the wife of the Inspector General of Police, Mrs. Elizabeth Egbetokun, to intervene and stop the planned demolition of their market.

The traders, many of whom are widows and sole breadwinners, expressed deep concern over the potential impact of the demolition of their livelihoods.

Speaking with journalists, over the weekend, the traders explained that the market is their primary source of income, and any disruption would leave them unable to provide for their families.

One trader,  who simply identified herself as Abigail, shared her fears: “We heard that they are planning to demolish the market and rebuild it.”

“We were in the market on Monday and Tuesday last week when some people including a white man walked around the market and took pictures of the shops.

“It was one of the people who came to inspect the market who told one of us that they are coming back by November to demolish the market and rebuild it.

“They said the new shops would be sold to us for N5m, each. Most of us don’t even make up to N200,000, from our businesses. How can we afford that?” Abigail lamented.

She added, “We are appealing to the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to please talk to his wife and help us.”

Another trader, who chose to remain anonymous, recalled a similar situation four years ago when plans to demolish the market were halted.

“Back then, some of us had health issues like stroke due to the stress of the situation. We can’t go through that again.

“The economy is already tough, and we don’t know where else to go if the market is demolished,” she said.

“It’s through what we sell that we are feeding our retired husbands and children. We are begging.

“The majority of us borrowed money to start these petty businesses in the market. When our husbands are not getting their retirement benefits on time, we feed them from what we sell,” she said.

“Since the day we saw those who came into the market, some of us have had their blood pressure spike over the fear of demolition.

“We are appealing to the IG’s wife as our mother to please help us so that we don’t die of hunger. We also have widows among us who are struggling for survival,” she added.

The fear of losing their businesses has also affected traders like John, who recently took a loan to stock his shop.

“I borrowed N5m to buy goods, and now I’m worried about what will happen if the market is demolished.

“My goods are perishable, and I can’t afford to lose them. If that happens, my children won’t be able to go to school, and I won’t be able to pay my rent,” he lamented.

“Aside from me, there are other people in the market who are also managing. The economic situation of the country is bad. I am appealing to whoever is concerned to please consider us in the market and stop the demolition of the shops.

He said that if the market was demolished, some of them would just collapse and die because their sources of livelihood depended on what they sold in the market.

“We have some who sell food, they feed their children and husbands from what they sell.

“If such a place is demolished now, how do you expect such people to survive, when they have no other source of livelihood or income”, he said.

The traders are urging Mrs. Egbetokun to consider their plight and intervene to prevent the demolition.

“We know the IGP and his wife are compassionate people who care about the masses. We believe they will listen to our cries and help us,” John concluded.