Kwara Demolishes Shops, Chases Street Traders as Govt Enforces Strict Rules, Marketers React

Tension is currently high in parts of Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, as traders at Oja-Oba Market and other surrounding areas cry out over the hardship caused by the state government’s enforcement of anti-street trading regulations.

A Legit.ng correspondent who visited the popular Oja-Oba Market on Thursday observed the presence of heavily armed security operatives deployed under the state-backed “Operation Harmony.”

Security men chase hawkers away

The operatives were seen chasing away hawkers, arresting those who defied the government’s directive, and dismantling makeshift stalls erected on walkways and road shoulders.

The crackdown follows the government’s recent directive banning trading activities on walkways and newly rehabilitated roads within the Ilorin metropolis.

At least one plaza containing over 20 shops has already been demolished as part of the ongoing road expansion and urban sanitation project.

The enforcement is backed by an official press release signed by Abdulquadri Kayode Ahmed, the Assistant Press Secretary of the Ministry of Works.

The statement reads in part:

“The Kwara State Government hereby notifies the general public that trading on walkways, pedestrian paths, and newly rehabilitated roads within Ilorin Metropolis remains prohibited.

“This directive specifically applies to the following locations: Emir’s Road, Zulu Gambari Road, Post Office Area, Isale Oja, Idi Ape.

“Turning these upgraded roads into makeshift markets defeats the effort to ease traffic, endangers lives, and disrupts free movement. Henceforth, anyone found trading in these areas, or on any public walkway, will face the full wrath of the law. Relevant task forces and security agencies have been deployed to maintain sanity.”

Traders condemn ‘insensitive’ new rules

The directive has sparked outrage and sorrow among local traders, many of whom claim they have nowhere else to go.

A distraught Mrs Rashidat, jewellery trader, told Legit.ng that:

“We are begging the government to reconsider its decision. The shops they have demolished so far were more than 10. And my shop is one of them.”

“I am selling jewellery and roughly I make close to N100,000 as profit. Tell me the kind of work that can give me this? I don’t even know where I should start from,” she lamented.

According to her, the traders understand the intention behind the government’s actions, but insist the cost is too high for poor and struggling citizens.

“We know the government said they are doing this to clean up the city and solve the traffic congestion, but it is us—the citizens—that are paying the ultimate price. We have thousands of traders who come to this market daily to survive. So if the government pushes all of us away, where should we go? How will our families survive? That will lead to more unemployment.”

Marketers appeal to government for mercy

Another trader described the situation as “heartbreaking.”

“This is where we are sourcing our daily bread to feed our children and send them to school. We have nobody to support us. If we don’t come to market one day, it would be hard for us to feed our family. Most of our goods were purchased in credit, we are trading on debt,” she said.

She continued:

“Since this demolition started, a lot has happened. We are in an economy whereby if someone did not sell daily, surviving will be difficult. We have aged women inside this market that could barely walk, but they still come to the market to trade so that they can eat. So if the government insists on chasing us all away, where do they want us to start from?”

Many of the traders are now calling on Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq to halt the demolitions and provide alternative market spaces before enforcing such regulations.

Residents flee Kwara homes

The violent confrontation, which erupted on Friday between residents of Osi and Ẹpẹ-Opin communities, has forced many locals to flee their homes.

Source: Legit.ng