The Lagos State Government stated on Monday that the displaced residents and traders at the Oko Baba plank market in Ebute Metta were illegal occupants who had refused to move to the new site allocated to them by the government.
Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, revealed this.with PUNCH.
EKO HOT BLOG reported that the traders and residents accused the government of being behind the fire that destroyed their goods, valued at millions of naira. According to them, the fire was a deliberate attempt by the government to forcefully evict them from the market.
A correspondent who visited the site on Sunday observed that the market, which spanned a large area extending to the waterside under the Third Mainland Bridge, had been ravaged by fire. Officials from the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) were also seen setting fire to the wooden structures.
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Omotoso acknowledged that the state was responsible for the fire but emphasized that the government had provided a new location for the traders in the Agbowa area of Ikorodu. He explained that those who remained at the Oko Baba market were the ones who refused to relocate.
He further noted that, in efforts to make the new site more appealing, the government had built a road connecting the new market to the main road in Ikorodu and provided accommodation for the traders.
“The operation was carried out by LASBCA. We have relocated them to a new market in Agbowa, but some refused to move. They initially complained about the road to the market, so the government constructed an alternative highway.
They were also provided with accommodation,” Omotoso said. “Those still in Ebute Metta are the ones who refused to leave. They were illegal occupants of the market, as there is no official documentation allocating the space to them. The government has been generous by offering them a new location.”
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Omotoso highlighted that the traders’ activities in the shanties posed environmental and aesthetic threats to the state. He also stressed that the frequent fires in the market endangered the Third Mainland Bridge, prompting the government to take action.
“If you look at the place, it has become an eyesore, and their activities are harmful to the environment,” he explained. “They’ve expanded under the Third Mainland Bridge, and the recurring fires pose a serious risk to the bridge’s integrity. If these fires compromise the bridge, it endangers the lives of thousands who use it daily, and we cannot allow that.”
Omotoso assured the public that the government remains committed to protecting the interests of all residents.
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