The Caretaker Committee, ICC of Balogun Business Association, BBA, International Market, located at the Trade Fair Complex, Ojo, along the Lagos/Badagry Expressway, Lagos, has condemned the alleged invasion of their market on Wednesday at 3 am, by armed thugs, who were accompanied by over 100 heavily armed police officers.
They also condemned the manhandling of their Chief Security Officer, CSO of the market, Chief Chinaedu Ezebuadi and his colleagues, who were brutally beaten by the alleged invaders, who stormed the market.
The traumatized traders vowed to resist the new but unpopular leadership, which they said was unlawful foisted on them by the invaders on Wednesday, November 22nd, 2023.
They however commended the rare high level of maturity, civilization, Safety consciousness and law-abiding attitude exhibited by the legitimate caretaker committee of BBA, led by Hon. Chief Anselem Duru, during the Wednesday 3 am alleged unlawful invasion and forceful take of the market leadership and Secretariat by Oscar Odogwu and Alex Obi – Odunukwe’s Thugs and police, who allegedly invaded the market to foist an illegal market leadership.
According to one of the traders, Chief Polycarp Nwankwo,” the refusal by Hon. Duru Led ICC to resort to self-help and confrontation with thugs, but resigned to rule of law, was the saving grace that avoided imminent bloodbath, possible breakdown of law and order, as heavily armed thugs backed by policemen besiege BBA Lagos Market Complex to enforce controversial court order”
Speaking on the development, Chief Leonard Ogbonnia, said: “The new phase of the crisis that is rocking the market association started after Chief Okey Ezeibe allegedly took some of his loyalists outside the market and conducted an illegal election in which unpopular and unrecognized persons, including Chief Oscar Odogwu, were purportedly elected as leaders of the association to the chagrin of other members who felt the reign of Chief Ezeibe as President and Board of Trustee, BOT Chairman, had lapsed and therefore, conducting an election outside the market runs contrary to their Constitution.
“It was this kangaroo election in a hotel outside our market that Oscar Odogwu and his co-travellers used in initiating court proceedings against individuals. For record purposes and emphasis, Odogwu’s court case was not with our organization called BBA, not with the caretaker committee. They deceived the court, and the police, collected illegal Judgement, with which they came to our market by 3 am, broke into the security office, destroyed things, manhandled our security personnel and unlawfully took over leadership of the market.”
Lamenting, Chief Nick Okeke the oldest Member of, BBA Board of Trustees, BOT, said: “How can police Officers invade a market at the wee hours of the day when the market had long closed to enforce a questionable court Order? IGP Kayode Egbetokun, the Judiciary, Federal and State governments, should urgently intervene, to restore the democratic Hope of the common man and our genuine traders”.