Families of murdered Owode Onirin traders demands justice

• seeks removal of Lagos Attorney General, others

Families of hapless traders gruesomely murdered at the Owode Onirin Motor Spare Parts Market in Lagos State on Wednesday, have cried out for justice, as many of them were said to have met their untimely death while eking a living on the fateful day.

Speaking at a press conference jointly addressed by the Centre for Human and Socio-Economic Rights (CHSR) and elders of the market, on the killing of some traders by trigger happy Police officers allegedly working for a notorious land grabber Mr. Hakeem Abiodun Ariori, guardians of the deceased took out time to recount their ordeals while stating the compounded problematic situation they are grappling with owing to the sad development.

An elder in the market Prince Adekunle Adenugba listed some names of the murdered traders; Mr. Adeoye Taiwo, Mr. Adewale Adebayo Matthew, Mr. Ibrahim Idowu, Mr. Akinboye Oluwaseyi and other two individuals.

According to Adenugba, “since 1979 that we have been there, the Wednesday tragedy is unprecedented.”

The CHSR National President Comrade Alex Omotehinse while addressing newsmen made certain demands to ensure that justice is served on the extra judicial killings; “Immediate arrest and prosecution of Mr. Abiodun Hakeem Ariori for murder, unlawful demolition, and acts of terrorism against Owode Onirin traders.

“Public disclosure of the identities of the four police officers involved, with full investigation, prosecution, and dismissal where guilty.

“Removal of Lagos State Attorney General, Mr. Lawal Pedro SAN, for partisanship, bias, and complicity in aiding a land grabber.

“Adequate and full compensation and medical support for the victims’ families and the injured traders.

“Permanent protection of Owode Onirin Market, with security agencies deployed to prevent further violence.

“An end to state cover-ups, instruments of the state must never wait until citizens are massacred before taking action.” CHSR demands.

Some of the family members of the murdered traders who were also available to register their plights all called for justice for the deceased.

A brother to one of the slain young men, claimed his brother Adewale was on his way to buy food when he got hit by gunshot and he died before help could get to him, “please people behind this should not go unpunished.

“All we call for is justice they believe they have all the powers to do whatever they like; we have none but we are a citizen of this country and that of the state and I believed the Governor of the state have heard about this issue but nothing has been done to address it and come to our aid, please we want justice. It is more than six that loss their lives to the unfortunate incident, over nine people loss their lives including school children.

A mother Taiwo Unice Oyero painted a gory tale of how her son died.

“I gave birth to Taiwo Adeoye, an apprentice in Owode and he has been well behaved since I have been grooming him, what happened to me on Wednesday is a very bad occurrence, he is my first born. Since that day I have been a living corpse.

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“I ought not to come here today but was forced to come, Nigerians please come to my aid, I don’t know where to start from, his newly wedded wife lives with me.

“I have been responsible for their daily needs likewise that of his younger ones, please for God’s sake, let me not suffer in vain, my son was not involved in any cult group, he does not drink alcohol nor smoke, he is not into yahoo.

“He chooses to be an apprentice seeing that I am a trader, this is a huge loss for me.”

Mr. Abiodun Temilola father to late Idowu Abraham Temilola, his son went to work from Ogijo where he lived, “I lived in Agric I heard that they were fighting in Owode and heard gunshots those that knew me called to inform me that my son got hit by the bullet fired at the scene of the fracas, he is the firstborn of his mother.

“He has two wives and three children all living with me now, I don’t know what to do, because the responsibility is enormous for me, due to the fact that my own family needs be catered for too.

Nigerians should come to my aid. I demand justice for the dead boy. He died while trying to escape the scene, he was not fighting anyone.

Olayemi Morufu a brother and master to the victim Seyi Akinboye said, “he got to the market on Wednesday ahead of me being my apprentice, he carried plate to go and buy food while going Ariori Police shot at him and he died.

“I am pleading to Nigerians, Ariori and his cohorts should not go unpunished, his three children and wife are now with me, I cannot inform his mum that he is dead, I don’t know what to do, is it a crime for someone to come to work?

Lekan Akinpelu one of the Elders of the market corroborated all that have been said with a clear trajectory of all that transpired in the market historically, while charging Governor Babajide Sanwo Olu to live up to expectation on ensuring security of lives and properties in the state.

He added that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should wade into the situation so as to proffer lasting peace therein.

“Ariori should be arrested and prosecuted alongside his thugs who brought mayhem to Owode on that fateful Wednesday.

“The Police DPO and SO in Owode must be removed from that place for negligence and complicity, as well as Musa one of the Police officers there.

“The Attorney General of Lagos Lawal Pedro must also be shown the way out of office for the role he played in the whole ugly saga.

A Human right activist Comrade Shina Loremekan noted that,“It is not the duty of government to commit extra judicial killings. The three arms of government should allow the river of justice to flow unhindered.

“This extra judicial killing violates our national law and other existing human rights treaties and acts, the President went for visit oversea to seek foreign investments, that will be threatened with the rising spate of extra judicial killings.”