Crisis seems to be brewing at the popular Kuto Market in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, following the alleged fresh move by the Abeokuta South Local Government to demolish some of the shops, to give way for the second-phase of the remodeling project by the local council
Scores of the affected traders at the early hours of Monday, staged a peaceful demonstration in protest against the plan, as they walked from the market down to the Ogun State Government Secretariat Complex at Oke-mosan in Abeokuta, chanting solidarity "Save our souls" songs and displaying placards of various bold inscriptions, appealing to Ogun State Government to prevail on the Abeokuta South Local Government's Executive Chairman, Hon. Afeez Balogun from going ahead with the alleged plan
The protesting traders on arrival at the second main entrance to the State Secretariat Complex at around 11:10 am, were prevented by the security operatives from gaining access to the office, to expressed their feelings to top officials of the State Government
The traders who later blocked the main entrance for close to two hours , claimed that they received quite notice from the local government to vacate marked shops at the market within seven days, effective from Friday April 10, 2026.
They accused the local government of demanding between N7 million and N10 million for them to secure the shops on completion of the second-phase remodeling project
The traders decried the alleged amount being demanded by the local government, saying most of them can not boast of N2 million in their personal bank accounts while total worth of goods of some of them is between N200,000 and N500,000 , making it very difficult financially to afford such shops being proposed
Three of the protesting traders, Mrs Akinoso, Mrs. Ogundeyi popularly known as "Mama Yard" and Mrs Ebere Izuchukwu who were later allowed to come into the State Secretariat, in their separate remarks in an interview with newsmen, claimed that the Executive Chairman Hon. Afeez Balogun accompanied by the Secretary to the Local Government (SLG), Mustapha Kodaolu and other top officials suddenly visited the market on Friday April 10, 2026 and started pasting seven-day quite notice on some of the shops which became effective same day without prior notice
Mrs. Akinoso who owns a provision shop, claimed that the affected shop owners had reached out to the State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Hon. Adijat Adeleye before going to the office of the Deputy Governor, Engr. Noimot Salako-Oyedele on Monday April 13, 2026 where they were denied access and directed to visit the office of the State Commissioner for Trade, Industry and Investment to register their complaint, but all the efforts were fruitless
She passionately appealed to Governor Dapo Abiodun to urgently intervene and prevent the proposed demolition, saying of some of the traders whose shops were demolished during the first phase of the remodeling, died from the sudden shock while others are still suffering from various illnesses, when they couldn't afford the huge rate at which the shops were given out to them.
Similarly Mrs Ogundeyi popularly known as Mama Yard maintained that none of the affected traders, could afford to pay such amount ranging between N7 million and N10 million allegedly being demanded by the local government for to secure shops on completion of the project
The local government according to her, said it will facilitate establishment of Micro-Finance Bank within the market to provide credit facility to traders without disclosure of collateral for such loan
She urged the local government to carrying out major repairs such as rehabilitation of toilet facilities, provision of portable water with restoration of electricity desrupted by the remodeling project in 2024, pleading that the proposed project is not necessary
She claimed that most of the affected traders had just renewed their tenancy at the market, paying for between two years and five years to the local
Also Mrs Ebere Izuchukwu who sells second hand wears among the 18 shops allocated to the Igbo traders, pleaded with government to stop proposed project, saying they are still struggling with their respective businesses to survive and can't afford such a huge amount to secure shops
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