No fewer than three persons have been reported dead, and dozens of others sustained varying degrees of injuries during clashes between the suspected land speculators and groups of motor spare parts traders in Owode Onirin market in Lagos State.
Aside from the deceased and injured traders, it was learnt that property and goods worth millions of Naira were also destroyed inside the market.
Eyewitnesses narrated that the violence caused panic, with traders closing their shops and occupants of buildings beside the market fleeing to avoid being caught in the web of the clashes.
As gathered, the clashes stem from long-standing disputes over the market’s land, which was formerly allocated to the first set of traders by the Lagos State Government during Governor Lateef Jakande’s administration, following their relocation from Jankara Market on the Lagos Island axis of the state.
On Wednesday, The Guild learnt that the age-long clash over the market ownership resumed yesterday with armed men fighting on the side of a suspected speculator, Abiodun Ariori, who is the CEO of Prosperous Ariori Golden Venture Limited.
The clash that claimed the new casualties was said to have started around 7:15 PM yesterday when armed men protecting the interests of Ariori allegedly attempted to embark on further enforcement actions despite a court order that instructed parties to maintain the status quo.
Eyewitnesses narrated that there were sporadic gunshots and smoke from heavy teargas canisters shot by the Lagos policemen to disperse the aggrieved parties, particularly in areas like Weighbridge, Ajegunle, and near Agbajoowo.
The disruptions within and outside the market, particularly on Ikorodu road, caused gridlock with commuters from Ketu, Mile 12, and Ikorodu being advised to avoid the area.
The spokesperson for the Lagos Police Command, Benjamin Hundeyin, who confirmed the clashes, disclosed that peace has been restored to the market.
Hundeyin said that the police teams have begun a manhunt for the perpetrators of the clashes that disrupted trading activities inside the auto spare parts market.
He said: “Normalcy has been restored in the Owode Onirin area of Lagos State. The Commissioner of Police, CP Olohundare Jimoh, just left the area after an on-the-spot assessment. Also, efforts are in top gear to apprehend the perpetrators of the unrest”.
According to him, “To sustain the normalcy, the Commissioner of Police has retained the deployment of adequate police personnel at the scene of the incident to prevent resurgence of the crisis.
“During the clash between the traders and the land grabbers, three persons sustained fatal injuries, and a Police Inspector was seriously injured.
“The three fatally injured persons were confirmed dead when they were rushed to the hospital by the Police, while the Police Inspector injured is in a critical and life-threatening condition at the hospital where he is receiving treatment”.
It would be recalled that on June 2, 2025, the Lagos High Court issued an injunction for all parties to maintain the status quo, adjourning to July 2 and later October 13, 2025, while the order was yet to be lifted, the Centre for Human and Socio-Economic Rights (CHSR) warned against buying disputed land at Weighbridge, Owode, citing ongoing harassment and solicited the State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s intervention.
