Threat to life: Traders Buhari, Ambode, Arase, others

Threat to life: Traders Buhari, Ambode, Arase, others

By Our Reporter  on November 30, 2015
By Christopher Oji
THE ousted leaders of Fancy and Furniture Dealers Association (FFDA) Alaba International Market, Ojo, Lagos State have cried to President Mohammadu Buhari and Governor Akinwunmi Ambode to rescue them as they alleged that their lives and that of their family members are no longer safe.
Also, the Traders have called on the Inspector General Of Police (IGP), Solomon Arase and the State Commissioner of Police, Mr Fatai Owoseni to investigate their complain of threat to life made against a powerful man in the market who has allegedly vowed to either kill them through hunger. The alleged tormentor was said to have locked up their shops for over six months.
The embattled Chairman, Nwabugwu Elvis Okoroafor at a Press briefing in Festac Town alleged that their predicament started after they were duly elected as the executive members in July 2013.
“Our tenure was supposed to expire in 2017 but we were surprised on May 21, 2015 while we were having a joint meeting with elders and stakeholders to discuss the way forward for our association, we saw the powerful man and a group of unknown faces in our secretariat. We became apprehensive because we were not expecting him in the meeting.
“The people he came with were fully armed and we had no alternative than to run for safety. As we were running some of us were injured. There was tension as other traders who saw us running also took to their heels.
“We were however, lucky as some soldiers arrived at the market. They had come to report a matter over a problem they had with one of our members. As the hoodlums sighted the soldiers, thinking that they were responding to distress call, the thugs took to their heels and abandoned the man who invited them. We then reconvened and ended our meeting with a closing prayer.
“We were shocked that on May 27,the same man stormed the market again with the thugs. The hoodlums chased the executives away and took possession of our office. The thugs were fully armed with guns, machetes and other dangerous weapons. We ran for our dear lives. Our shops were all sealed up under the order of the man. Few days later, the man announced that he has appointed new executive members.
We reported the matter to the President-General of Association of Commodity Market Women and Men of Nigeria, Mrs. Folashade Tinubu-Ojo who told us to be prayerful and law abiding. Since them, she has been giving us money to feed because, she knows our predicament.