Following the recent desecration of the Alaba Rago Market by the Lagos State Government, the Arewa Broadcast Media Practitioners Forum (ABMPF) has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to lead an “onslaught” against Northern traders in Lagos.
The Forum expresses its regret over the demolition project, which is said to have affected hundreds of shops and over 40 mosques, in a statement released on Sunday and signed by its Chairman, Abdullahi Yelwa. The organization claimed that Northerners’ businesses were disproportionately targeted by the operation.
The demolition was carried out without prior notice or due process, leaving thousands of traders without access to their goods or property, according to the ABMPF. The Forum claimed that the state government had fabricated a land grab under the guise of modernization and that the economic losses were over 20 billion.
The statement read, “This inhumane action has left thousands of Northerners without a source of livelihood,” as it clearly shows that Lagos State governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu wants to drive away people from some ethnic groups.
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The Forum urged political, traditional, and religious leaders in Northern Nigeria to intervene before tensions escalate further and warned that such actions could lead to retaliatory sentiments.
They noted that Alaba Rago Market has been in operation for more than 80 years and is a major trading hub for the region’s Northern communities. The Forum argued that the practice of labeling its residents and traders as squatters is both unfair and historically inaccurate.
The ABMPF criticized what it perceives as a double standard by drawing comparisons to Northern states like Kaduna and Katsina, where Yoruba communities reportedly live peacefully and own property without discrimination.
The Lagos State Government should treat Northerners in Alaba, who have lived there for generations, as non-indigenes who can be evicted at will, according to the statement.
Source: Channels TV
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