Ladipo market shut after clash

Ladipo International Auto Spare Part Market has announced its plans to petition the Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Sanwo-Olu, Inspector General of Police and the Chief of Air Staff over the killing of one of its traders in the clash that happened between the traders and the air force officers.

The President General of the association, Jude Nwankwo said this to journalists yesterday at his office in Ladipo Market.

It will be recalled that on Tuesday, there was clash between the soldiers and a trader over Kick start at the popular Ladipo auto spare parts market in Lagos which one trader Felix Nnana Onu dead and four persons presently hospitalized.

Onu, 28 years from Ebonyi State, he deals with Catalyst business. The other hospitalized are: Ifeanyi Enyin, Chindinma Okechukwu, Makwo Ekwuna and Chikezie.

According to him, what happened yesterday is not the beginning of the intimidation, harassment from the military in the market.

Onu said that it is quite unfortunate the incidents that happened yesterday and we have been facing series of problem with soldiers. I believe that this is the time to stop it. I believe by the grace of God, time will come when we will agree not to sell any motor spare parts to any soldiers.

He said “It is getting out of hand. They are taking laws into their hands. We are here talking about kick starter worth #4, 000 and somebody is dead and we don’t  how many people that have died. We have some of our traders in the hospital. We are taking this matter to the highest authority to make sure that we get judgment”.

When asked whether the Air Force has made an overture to the market leaders since the incident happened, he said that a meeting was held yesterday with some Air Force Officers but it was evident that they are trying to protect their boys.

“We told them we are leaving their office to make our report to the necessary quarters. As at Tuesday, we aired our views. It is quite unfortunate that Air Force personnel will enter into the market and start to shoot unarmed civilians directly as if they are animals”.

“The intimidation in their office was too much for us and we left”, he said.

He posited further that the association closed the market in solidarity with one member who died and others who are still in the hospital.

“We are demanding for justice”, he said.

“Ladipo Market is the biggest spare part market in the whole of West Africa and for now, we are not talking about money but a life that has been lost”, he said.

In his words, the lawyer to the Aguyi Ironsi International Market Traders Association of Lagos, Barrister Obiora Umeh said that it is enough; we will not allow it lie low. Nobody for now can say the number of persons that have died because we don’t know. The market is a big place and as such when they invaded the market, people were running for safety. The market has been shut down by the association so we can get to the root of the matter.

“We will send a petition to the IG, Chief of Army Staff, Commissioner of Police and the Governor of the state on this matter. Let this whole world know that it is wrong because you are an army man, you cannot take laws into your hands”, he said.

He added that these things have been recurring overtime. We put up a big sign board and is a public notice that whatever you buy as fairly used, there is no guaranteed that you will return it after some time. Once is tested and is working, you take it home.

An witness account, Ajuluchukwu Eseanya said that the incident happened because of the kick starter that the solder bought six or seven months ago, suddenly the thing stop working and he came back to insist as they usually do for a replacement and the matter was resolved but he was not satisfy and the matter went to the public complain committee of the market.

“They were two who came in mufti and efforts were made to attend to him but he was not patience, he left. Someone (Solomon) from the market ran to meet him to plead with him to wait that he will be attended to but he refused.

Eseanya posited that five armed personnel drove into the market and were beaten everyone they see in the market and shot directly at the unarmed traders.

Culled from the Nation News Nigeria