Traders at Ekae Market in Oredo Local Government Area, Edo State, mostly women, took to the streets on Thursday to protest the Local Government’s plan to demolish the market.
The traders expressed deep concern over the short notice given for the demolition and pleaded with the Edo State Government to intervene and protect their livelihoods.
Speaking at the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) Center in Benin City, Mrs. Becky Irabor, a trader, described the demolition notice as a shock and urged the government to help.
“We were given only three days to vacate our shops. Many of us are widows, single mothers, and breadwinners. We depend on this market to survive. Some of our children are in school, and we have no other means to support them,” she said.
Mrs. Irabor also revealed that the local government had previously issued receipts for the shops, and many traders had taken loans to build their stores.
“When officials from Oredo Local Government gave us receipts, many of us used loans to develop our shops. Some are still repaying those loans. On Friday, we were told to vacate in three days for reconstruction. We are pleading with the government to let us stay,” she added.
Mustapha Abubakar, a trader and chairman of the Hausa community in Ekae Market, expressed his distress. “I just returned from the mosque on Friday and was informed about the demolition. I have a store there, and we are stranded. We need help,” he said.
Mrs. Vero Igbenosa, leader of the market women, appealed to the local government to consider allocating shops to traders after the reconstruction.
In response, Dr. Osaheni Igbiniege, Acting Chairman of Oredo Local Government Council, explained that the demolition is necessary to replace the temporary structures with permanent ones. He assured the traders that every market woman would be allocated a shop once construction is complete.
“We understand the traders’ concerns and will ensure that their interests are protected. Every member of the market women will receive a shop after the construction,” Dr. Igbiniege said.
