8th April, 2014
Cyriacus Izuekwe
Crisis rocked Ladipo Auto Spare Parts Market in Mushin, Lagos, western Nigeria, last weekend after a 48-year old landlord, Andrew Onyia, allegedly stormed the market with carpenters and thugs and removed the roofs of some shops at a plaza.
In the course of resisting the thugs, there was fracas in the market and some spare parts dealers were badly injured.
But for the quick intervention of the policemen from Olosan Division, there would have been total breakdown of law and order at Olanibi section of the market that day.
Onyia was arrested and has been arraigned before Ijeshatedo Magistrates’ Court.
P.M.NEWS learnt that Onyia has been at loggerheads with the traders over an attempt to increase the rent on the shops and reconstruction of the plaza for about two years now.
The traders insisted that they should be carried along so that the original shop owners will not lose their shops to new tenants after the reconstruction.
According to the president of Olanibi Traders Association, Mr Prince Donald Ezejioha, Onyia .increased the rent for each shop from N6,000 to N11,000 per annum which the traders agreed to pay.
He said Onyia later came back and ordered the traders to move their goods out so that he could reconstruct the plaza and deck it.
He said the traders agreed and told him to carry them along when he was ready for the reconstruction.
Ezejioha further said the traders were shocked when Onyia allegedly brought some thugs at about 5a.m. last Friday while the traders were still in their homes and removed the roofs and started attacking a few traders that were in the market.
He said there was no court order and the traders were not served any quit notice to that effect.
He said the thugs he brought invaded the shops and carted away some money traders left in their shops.
One of the victims, Emeka Ede, said he met the landlord and the thugs when he came to the market and when he attempted to advise them to wait until the owners of the shops arrive, he said they descended on him and battered him.
When contacted P.M.NEWS Onyia, he said he brought carpenters to remove the roofs and that he informed his tenants before doing so.
He denied bringing any thugs to the plaza and said he would find a way to settle the matter with the traders.
He also confirmed that he did not take the tenants to court or serve them quit notice because he believed that they are his kinsmen.
When Onyia was arraigned in court, he pleaded not guilty.
However, the prosecutor informed the court that he would amend the charge in the next adjournment. However, the court granted him bail in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties in like sum. The matter was adjourned till 7 May, 2014.