OscarBy: Emma Nnadi 
Tensions ran high at the Owode Motor Spare Parts Market in Lagos on Thursday, June 19, 2025, as land grabbers, backed by heavily armed policemen, invaded the market, demolishing shops and injuring several traders. This brazen act defies a subsisting court order.
According to eyewitnesses, the invasion began early in the morning, with the policemen shooting sporadically to scare traders away. The traders had previously protested a similar invasion in March, which saw over 500 shops demolished, with losses running into millions of naira.
A court had granted an injunction order on June 2, 2025, for the status quo to remain pending the determination of the suit before the court. The matter is currently before an Ikeja High Court, with the next adjournment date fixed for July 2, 2025.
The traders have appealed to the police authorities, particularly AIG Zone 2 and the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, to intervene and enforce the court order. They warn that failure to act may lead to a breakdown of public order and safety .
A letter by Comrade Alex Omotehinse, president, Center for Human and Socio -Economic Rights, CHSR to AIG Zone 2 Onikan
Compol Lagos Command, noted among others that ”
It is no longer a news that sometimes early this year, on Thursday 6th of March 2025 to be precised at about 4:30am a Landgrabber led some armed thugs and heavily armed Policemen invaded the Owode Motor Spare Parts Market and demolished over 500 shops with good worth millions of naira an action that leads to the traders to stage a protest to submit their petition to the speaker Lagos State house of assembly and the Lagos State governor on Thursday 27th March 2025.
“When the state assembly and the Lagos State governor refused to intervene on their plight, the trader return to court In the case of B.I.Olowu vs Shomolu LG and Kosofe LG with suit No. ID/1757/1994 currently pending in an Ikeja high court where the court has granted an injunction order on Monday 2nd June 2025 for the status quo to remain pending the determination of the suit before the court and the next adjournment date is 2nd July 2025.
“Today Thursday 19th June 2025 we reliably gathered that the Landgrabber mobilized hundreds of thugs and fully armed policemen in their dozens to invade the Owode Motor Spare Parts Market this morning to demolish shops while the policemen were shooting sporadically to scare the traders from stoping the Landgrabber caterpillar from destroying their shops and has injured some traders.
“We hereby use this medium in calling on the AIG Zone 2 and the Commissioner of Police Lagos Command CP. Moshood Jimoh to quickly call the policemen to order as there is a Lagos high court order of status quo to remain pending the determination of the suit before the court.
“Below are pictorial and video evidences, we also learnt that some of the traders are been seriously injured.
“We hereby appeal to the Police authorities to quickly address these issues as a matter of urgency to avoid the breakdown of public order and safety as a delay in enforcing discipline may lead to an incitement of public, this is the best time to promote and sustain the rule of law as the parties concerns in the Owode Motor Spare Parts Market have their matter before a court competent jurisdiction.
“We shall be glad if this appeal can receive ur urgent attention it deserves. Thanks. “
PeakNews Online
