Traders demand compensation over Alaba Rago market demolition

Traders at the Alaba Rago Market in Ojo Local Government Area of Lagos State have appealed to the government for compensation following the demolition of the 45-year-old market.

The demolition, which ran from Sunday, August 17 to Wednesday, August 20, is the second to affect the food, livestock, and scrap metal market this year.

“In May 2024, the Lagos State Taskforce carried out a similar operation, citing the removal of shanties and illegal structures.

According to market leaders, the latest exercise destroyed more than 3,000 shops, including about 40 mosques, and displaced thousands of traders. Losses are estimated at over ₦20 billion.

Alhaji Adamu Katagum, deputy to the Sarkin Alaba Rago, said the demolition was carried out without adequate notice, despite decades of investment by traders who first developed the site in 1979.

“At the time, this place was a swamp with no road network.

“It was traders who used their resources to build it up, yet in a single day everything was demolished. We pay our dues, but now we have lost over 50 years of hard work,” he said.

Another trader, Alhaji Muhammed Rabiu, described the action as unfair, stressing that the community has long contributed to Lagos’ economy and supported the ruling party.

“We are Nigerians, not illegal settlers. We have proper documentation and pay our taxes.

“But suddenly, bulldozers and armed policemen arrived, and our livelihood was wiped out,” he lamented.

As of press time, the Lagos State Government had not released an official statement on the demolition of the market, one of the busiest in the state.