Alaba traders protest extortion, locked up shops

Traders at the Alaba International Market in the Ojo area of Lagos have locked up their stores effective from Thursday, October 20 till Monday, October 25 to protest the activities of hoodlums.

A notice signed by the Public Relations Officer of Alaba Amalgamated, Buba Mohammed, seen by National Daily informed the public of the development.

“Please be informed general public that Alaba International Amalgamated Council of Sectional Heads, Alaba International Market, Ojo, Lagos State will be closing from Thursday 20/10/2022 till Monday 25/10/2022 to protest the activities of the touts, area boys/ hoodlums( agberos),” the notice read.

Alaba market traders clashed with hoodlums, whom they accused of extortion, on Wednesday.

According to a source, two traders died in the fracas.

“Just got information that there was serious gunfire from the attackers and that 2 Igbos lost their lives in the fracas,” the source told TheNiche on Thursday.

Blood, tears and sorrow at Alaba International Market

The warring factions deployed different weapons, including stones, cutlasses, wood and axes, during the affray.

Several videos showing Alaba market traders and hoodlums hurling cudgels at one another have gone viral on social media. A number of persons also sustained varying degrees of injury.

READ ALSO: Police restore normalcy at Alaba market, quell traders, hoodlums clash

A trader, who identified himself simply as Ifeanyi for security reasons, said his colleagues were ready to starve if it would end the extortion.

“They are always increasing the money they charge us. They overcharge us when trucks want to load and offload our goods. Dispatch riders are also overcharged, thereby reducing the amount we gain as they increase the cost of their services which we make use of when people order our goods online,” he added.

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Another trader, Augustine Ikenna, said the protesters were permitted by the chairman of the market association to demonstrate after a meeting on Wednesday.

Spokesman of the police, Benjamin Hundeyin, said normalcy had been restored.

“Alaba International Market is calm. Normalcy has been restored. @rrslagos767 and men of Ojo Division are on ground, under the supervision of Area Commander Festac, ACP Igbafe Afegbai,” Hundeyin wrote on Twitter.