Ladipo Market boils as thugs attack traders

Ladipo Market, the biggest auto spare parts market in Lagos State, located in the Mushin area of the state, has been turned into a battle zone after some hoodlums unleashed mayhem on traders and customers.

No fewer than three people were said to be injured, while no fewer than 12 vehicles parked by the roadside were reportedly vandalised by the rampaging thugs who invaded the market on Wednesday.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the gangs also hauled pebbles and bottles into the market and as traders fled their shops, they carted away their goods and emptied their safes.

An eyewitness, who identified himself simply as Emma, said the chaos began around 6pm on Wednesday.

It was said to have lasted till around 7pm after some soldiers intervened.

Emma said, “I came to the market to repair my car. But suddenly the guys entered the market and started throwing stones and bottles at everybody.

“They vandalised vehicles parked by the roadside. They also injured several people. The whole market was in commotion and we all ran for dear life.”

When PUNCH Metro visited the market on Thursday, he saw splinters of shattered windscreens, though the damaged vehicles were no longer there.

The road was littered with broken bottles.

There was still palpable tension in the market as a group of men marched on the road.

Three of the men held canes and flogged motorcycle riders and motorists, while some others harassed traders for fees.

Those who argued or resisted the men were flogged.

Investigations by PUNCH Metro showed that the chaos in the market was caused by the ticketing fees being collected from traders by touts working for the Ladipo Auto Central Executive Committee, LASEC.

A source told our correspondent that the new leader of LASEC, Kingsley Ogunor, aka Uncle Sege, was having a running battle with the immediate past leader of the union, one Obosi.

He said, “Obosi was the former leader of LASEC. But after the election, Uncle Sege replaced him as the new leader of the market.

“But Obosi’s boys, who collect money from traders, refused to vacate their posts at the end of the election.

“They did not leave the market for Uncle Sege’s boys because of the money they were making from ticketing.

“So, Uncle Sege’s boys said if they don’t want to leave, they must be paying N20, 000 on a daily basis, but they refused and that was the genesis of the fight.”

However, another source said Obosi and Uncle Sege had resolved their differences, but were being challenged by one Monday Ijoba, who had taken over the ticketing in the market immediately Obosi left the seat.

Monday Ijoba was said to be the leader of a group from the Cemetery section of the market.

“Monday Ijoba is the leader of Cemetery boys. After Obosi left the seat, Ijoba sent his boys to be collecting money from four different parts of the market.

“Obosi and Uncle Sege, after reconciling their differences, confronted him and asked him to stop his illegal ticketing. The parties agreed to a truce last week after they had been fighting for more than a month.

“But just suddenly, they began their fight yesterday (Wednesday) and nobody knew why,” he said.

A trader, Johnson Bombay, who claimed to be injured during the fracas, said he counted 12 vehicles that were damaged and three men that were injured.

He said, “You can see my leg where I also sustained injuries. Those I saw that were seriously injured were three, aside those who were hit by bottles.”

A trader, Mrs. Odika Chinelu, told PUNCH Metro she sighted a man whose finger was cut off during the mayhem.

She said, “The man was cut with matchete in the head; he was covered in blood.

“One of his fingers was cut off. Four people took him to the hospital.

“If you were here when the fight broke out, you will never want to enter Ladipo Market again in your life.

“One of my friends, who hawks in the market, said the hoodlums attacked her and almost took her money.”

The Lagos State command’s Police Public Relations Officer, Kenneth Nwosu, had yet to reply to a text message sent to his phone as of the time of filing this report.