Arewa Media Forum Urges Tinubu to Halt Demolition of Alaba Rago Market

By Mustapha Salisu

The Arewa Broadcast Media Practitioners Forum (ABMPF) has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene in what it described as an “onslaught” against Northern traders following the demolition of the Alaba Rago Market in Lagos State.

In a statement signed by its chairman, Alhaji Abdullahi I. Yelwa (Ajiyan Yauri), the Forum strongly condemned the demolition, which it said was carried out by the Lagos State Government without due process or notice to affected traders. It alleged that the exercise, disguised as a modernization effort, was in reality a land grab that left traders and their business associates counting losses of over N20 billion.

According to ABMPF, the demolition, which also affected shops and no fewer than 40 mosques within the market, has rendered thousands of Northerners jobless and amounted to an attempt to eject certain ethnic groups from Lagos.

“The Alaba Rago Market has existed for over 80 years, predating Nigeria’s independence, and has served as a hub for traders from across the North,” the Forum said. “Its demolition is not only inhumane but also unconstitutional and a direct provocation to Northerners and Easterners in Lagos.”

The Forum warned that the action of the Lagos State Government was capable of inciting retaliatory actions in the North. It urged Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to reverse the decision, provide compensation and relocation plans for victims, and respect the historical and cultural importance of the market to the Northern community.

ABMPF further reminded Lagos authorities that in many Northern states, Yoruba communities live peacefully, run businesses, and own property without being treated as squatters. It described any attempt to “Yorubanize Lagos” as divisive and anachronistic.

The Forum also called on Northern political, traditional, and religious leaders to intervene and safeguard the rights of Northerners in Lagos.