Traders at the Tarmac, a popular phone and digital market in the Panseke area of Abeokuta, Ogun State, were surprised on Friday morning when heavily armed policemen arrived at the market and ordered them to vacate the premises, citing a court order. The traders were not aware of any such court order and were caught off guard.
When reporters from Findwhosabi Metro visited the market, they observed a heavy police presence, and the traders gathered around their locked shops. Some traders reported that they had been facing threats from land grabbers, who had previously asked them to leave the market.
One trader, Akeem Oyeyemi, stated that the police arrived around 5 am and showed them a court order to vacate the market, which they had not been informed about. The traders requested permission to open their stores, but the police allegedly began shooting, causing them to scatter.
Another trader, who chose to remain anonymous, said that land grabbers had repeatedly visited the market to ask them to leave. This situation has been a cause of concern for the traders.
Efforts to reach the chairman of the market association, Ifebola Togunwa, for a response were unsuccessful. The Ogun State Police Command Public Relations Officer, Omolola Odutola, also did not respond to inquiries at the time of reporting.
Earlier in the week, the Ogun State House of Assembly had alleged that police in the state were collaborating with land grabbers to unlawfully arrest and detain innocent members of the public. The Speaker of the Assembly appealed to the Inspector General of Police to intervene in the matter.