Igbo traders under attack in Lagos markets for celebrating LP win, says eye-witness…*Faults police explanation

Benjamin Hundeyin

~Rose Moses

The position of the Lagos State Police Command that the attacks on Igbo traders in Lagos markets, today, February 27, 2023,  was because some allegedly reneged on agreement to close markets in the area for two days, has been faulted by an eyewitness.

Contrary to the police position on the incident, as earlier reported, Newsmart learnt, instead, that the traders were attacked for simply jubilating over the Labour Party’s victory at the presidential poll in Lagos. 

A Twitter user @VictorIsrael_, had tweeted that APC thugs were on the rampage on the streets of Lagos because Peter Obi won Tinubu, they were “chasing the Igbos, robbing them and destroying properties.”

The Tweet: “APC thugs are on the rampage on the streets of Lagos because Peter Obi won Tinubu.

“In Abibu Oki street off Broad Street in Mandilas market Lagos island, they are chasing the Igbos, robbing them and destroying properties.”

Spokesperson of the Lagos State Police Command, Benjamin Hundeyin, reacting to the development, however, reportedly said the attack on the traders could be because some of them reneged on ‘agreement’ to close markets in the state for two days - Sunday and Monday (February 26 and 27).

He said that the market association agreed that shops would remain closed Sunday and Monday but some did not obey.

He wrote: “This is fake news. The market association agreed that shops would remain closed yesterday and today.

“Igbo traders this morning decided to renege on the agreement and open shops.

“Some hoodlums took it upon themselves to enforce compliance. The police were alerted.

“The police arrived promptly. The hoodlums fled upon sighting police patrol vans. Not one shop was vandalized. Not one person was robbed. Not one person was injured. Normalcy was swiftly returned, and officers remain on ground. Go and verify”

According to our source at the Lagos Island, the agreement was for the shops to be closed for elections, which was Saturday. This was extended to Sunday because some polling units had their elections shifted to Sunday.

He said, today, Monday, February 27 was not included as people were allowed to go about their normal businesses.

And so, people opened their shops, including our source, who is not of Igbo tribe, and who was freely doing his business in the area at the time he was giving the information. But things would head south when some of the traders started jubilating over the LP win in the state….Something that their attackers apparently wouldn’t  take. And that according to our source, triggered the fracas.


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