CDHR asks Lagos Assembly to extend Abule Egba traders' relocation deadline by six months

The Lagos State branch of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) has urged the Lagos State House of Assembly to secure a six-month extension for motor spare parts and scrap dealers facing relocation from Ogunrinde Street, Super Bus Stop, Abule Egba. The traders, members of the United Brothers Motor Spare Parts Dealers Association and the Scrap Dealers Association of Nigeria (NASWADEN), were directed by the Agbado-Oke-Odo Local Council Development Area to vacate their current locations on or before October 16, 2026.

In a petition to the Speaker of the House, the CDHR said the traders need more time to prepare their proposed new market at Ayetobi, Amikanle, warning that forcing them out before the alternative site is ready would disrupt their livelihoods and cause avoidable economic hardship. The petition was signed by the CDHR Lagos State branch chairman, Adewale Ojo.

The petition acknowledged the intervention of the LCDA chairman, Abiodun Jimoh Ishola, popularly known as Ejigbadero, who led representatives of the two associations to Ayetobi on October 3 and allocated approximately three acres of land for their relocation. According to the CDHR, the traders have already engaged a grader to clear the grass and level the ground, demonstrating their willingness to cooperate.

The organisation argued that the October 16 deadline was impracticable because the land still requires substantial preparation and construction before it can accommodate the businesses. It said the traders need time to build shops, organise the market layout, arrange safe storage and transportation of goods and equipment, and mobilise the resources required to establish themselves at the new location.

The CDHR stressed that it is not opposed to the relocation or to the government's drainage and environmental improvement projects, but called for a reasonable transition period. It asked the Assembly to convene a meeting of the market associations, the LCDA, state government representatives and the CDHR to agree a realistic timetable, and appealed to the authorities to refrain from forceful eviction or demolition while an extension is considered.

The petition also sought clarification on the status and conditions of the land allocated at Ayetobi, including its suitability for a market, the permitted use of the site and any restrictions arising from its location beneath a power-line corridor. It urged transparency over any fee or financial obligation imposed on the traders and called for a phased relocation based on progress at the new site.