Traders narrate how thugs destroyed market after PDP candidates visit

Traders in different markets in Lagos have narrated how their wares were destroyed by thugs for supporting the PDP governorship candidate, Abdulazeez ‘Jandor’ Adediran.

The traders spoke at a press conference held by the PDP in the state at the Protea Hotel in Ikeja on Sunday.

The traders recounted their losses after Mr Adediran spoke about the many attacks against his campaign.

The governorship candidate is on a campaign tour of the 245 wards in the state. He has visited 194 so far.

In some of the videos shown at the event, the PDP campaign buses were damaged.

Some thugs mounted roadblocks to prevent the campaign team from accessing the wards while brandishing cutlasses, bottles and stones in the presence of some armed police officers.

Traders

One of the traders, Adeniyi Idowu, also known as ‘Iyalaya’, a fruit seller at the Jakande market, said that she got a call that the PDP deputy governorship candidate was at the market entrance.

She said that they had gotten a music band to welcome Ms Akindele who is also an actress into the market but were prevented by some thugs.

She said the market secretary said, “they won’t enter the market.”

However, in a video earlier seen by PREMIUM TIMES, the market secretary said he didn’t get any letter of notification about the visit.

She also claimed that at around 3 p.m., another market executive came and ordered some thugs to destroy the wares of those supporting the opposition while adding that the thugs came with bottles, cutlasses and guns.

Ms Idowu said that they reported to the Ketu police division but no action was taken. She said since the incident occurred, they had not been able to visit the market.

A ‘pomo’ seller, Alimi Tawa, in Agege said that she and her colleague alongside a customer were discussing the negative impact of the economy on their livelihood.

She added that the customer also told them to vote out the APC if they want a positive turn around and they agreed.

“But unknown to us, some traders went to tell the market leaders. We just saw them (market leaders), they were about 20 and they said we should leave the market,” she said.

---

“They said that the market is owned by the APC and not the PDP. They said we should go to PDP market to sell our wares.”

‘Many attacks’

Mr Adediran at the event spoke again about the incessant attacks.

He said Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu failed to condemn the attacks in the state.

He said they were attacked at Badagry, Agege, Kosofe and Surulere.

He added that his deputy, Ms Akindele, was “turned back by thugs” at the fruit market in Kosofe.

According to him, thugs and their sponsors have his itinerary.

Despite the attacks on his campaign team, Mr Adediran said that he would not back out.

“It is our constitutional right to campaign, we won’t succumb,” he said.

He also noted that nobody has been held accountable by the police.

Speaking on the presence of his campaign vehicle at the shooting in Surulere, Mr Adediran said thugs “hijacked” the branded vehicle following his presence in the area.

Also, Arike Akinde, a member of the party from Surulere, said on Thursday around 11:30 p.m., the ward chairman hoisted the campaign banner. “Shortly after that, two Danfo drove into the place asking for the PDP chairman. But thank God they didn’t succeed at that point.”

She said that in the morning by 8 a.m., about four vehicles drove in “with guns and machetes…the canopies were damaged to the extent that everyone in that area was running. They were shooting in broad daylight unchecked.”

Benjamin Hundeyin, the police spokesperson in the state, said the incident “is being investigated.” He also said three people were injured.

The PDP ward chairman in Kosofe, Titilayo Adetayo, said they reported the matter to the police but two of the complainants (traders) were arrested but were released later.

She said despite her visits to the police division in the area about the attacks on the traders, nothing was done.