By Chiagoziem Abosi and Tochy Ejiofor
The bulldozers came before dawn. By the time the dust settled, what was once Alaba Rago Market in Ojo LGA — a bustling hub for thousands of traders, artisans, and residents — was nothing but rubble.
For many, it felt like history repeating itself. “Callous,” some traders muttered under their breath as they watched years of sweat, stock, and shelter wiped out in a matter of hours.
The Lagos State Government insists it gave a six-month notice. But traders and residents swear demolition started barely a month later, leaving no time to prepare.
“We were not given enough time”
Musa, a livestock dealer who had been at Alaba Rago for 15 years, told IkejaBird:
“How do you tell someone to move in six months, and then return in less than four weeks with bulldozers? My goats, my pen, everything is gone. Where do I start from?”
For him and thousands of others, the pain isn’t just about losing money — it’s about losing community, a place where livelihoods were passed down from one generation to the next.
A familiar story
Photo Credit: Vanguard Newspaper
This isn’t the first time Lagos has pulled down structures in the name of urban renewal. In December 2023, over 300 shops at the POWA Complex in Computer Village were demolished despite a subsisting court order. Traders, many of them women, were left stranded, crying out for justice that never came.
The pattern has left many Lagosians asking: is demolition the only way the city knows how to grow?
Photo Credit: Guardian Newspaper
Calls for compensation
Already, affected traders at Alaba Rago are calling for compensation and relocation plans. The Coalition of Traders’ Associations told The Republic that without support, thousands could be pushed deeper into poverty.
Meanwhile, the Lagos State Government maintains that the demolition was part of its urban renewal strategy and security concerns in the area.
The bigger picture
Beyond the politics of land use, the human cost remains heavy. Mothers now wonder how to feed their children, young apprentices have lost their training grounds, and small traders fear being pushed permanently out of business.
Alaba Rago is gone, but the scars remain.
👉 Over to you, Ikeja: Do you think demolitions like this are necessary for city development, or should the government find more humane ways to relocate traders? Share your thoughts in the comments.
