By Evelyn Usman
The once bustling Trade Fair Complex on the Lagos–Badagry Expressway now wears the look of a war zone, at least along Balogun Road, where bulldozers pulled down no fewer than 19 buildings, on Thursday, September 25, 2025.
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Defending it’s action, the Lagos State Government said the demolished buildings were illegal and never got it’s approval. It also added that the buildings were built on the canal.
The affected stretch, one of the busiest arteries within the complex, is now lined with heaps of rubble, broken blocks, twisted iron rods, splintered wood, and scattered goods.
The hum of generators and chatter of traders has been replaced with an eerie silence, punctuated only by the clinking of scavengers sifting through debris in search of scraps.
During a visit to the affected area yesterday, Saturday Vanguard observed that from Balogun/Abia Junction, the scars of demolition lay heavy in the dust, indicating a burial ground of decades of toil, savings, and dream.
Alleged selective excercise
For many traders, the most haunting reality was the selective nature of the exercise. Along the Balogun stretch, rows of shops lay in ruins, while others stood untouched,silent witnesses to unequal loss. In disbelief, one trader whispered, ‘Why ours? What did we do wrong?”But the question drifted into the air unanswered, swallowed by the silence of a crowd too broken, as each person was imprisoned in the weight of his own pain.
Almost immediately, the wife of a shop owner in one of the demolished buildings yelled at another trader who tried to console her, “You can’t wake up from your bed, bring bulldozers to destroy people’s property, and expect them to be happy,”
By the roadside, another woman bent low, tugging at a piece of tarpaulin from under the rubble of what was once a cluster of shops. With hands dusty and eyes hollow, she muttered when approached, “I just came back to carry my tarpaulin. Everything is gone. No shop, nothing!” For her, and many others, it was the burial ground of decades of toil, savings, and dreams.
Not far away, groups of scavengers hired by some building owners worked with grim determination, pulling out iron rods, aluminum sheets, and broken shelves and anything that could still fetch some money.
I lost everything before foreign partners — Ike
For Mr. Magnus Ike, Chief Executive Officer of Magnum Merchandise Limited, the events of that day are etched in pain. His voice trembled as he recounted the moment bulldozers rolled into the complex. Yet, in spite of the devastating effect of the Lagos State Government’s action, Magnus seemed unbroken, carrying on with a quiet confidence that suggested determination to rise above the ruins.
Explaining the demolition of Thursday, he said: “What happened came as a huge shock. I was in my office with foreign partners when the demolition started. Suddenly, there was noise, breakage, people running, buildings collapsing. Tear gas filled the air. My guests fled in fear. It was chaos,” he recalled.
His demolished buildings: six two-storey structures sitting on 5,000 square meters housed a diagnostic centre, a crèche, a mall, and offices.
“That building was constructed five years ago and duly approved by the Trade Fair Management Board, which is under the Federal Government. Yet Lagos State officials came claiming we had no approval from them. They never asked for documents, never notified us. They just destroyed everything,” he said bitterly.
Continuing, he added: “If Lagos State Government felt there was an issue, it should have notified us, invited us, or written to us. Instead, they claimed we didn’t have Lagos State approval. Strangely, they never even asked me to present any documents. If such approval is truly required for federal property, then there should be clear communication. The Trade Fair Management Board should have informed us. What happened is not right.”
The loss, Ike admitted, was beyond counting. When asked how many millions he lost, he responded: “I lost more than millions. What hurts more is the betrayal. Government talks about foreign investment and job creation, yet they destroy businesses without following due process. It feels like survival of the strongest, not the rule of law. We are creating employment here, supporting the economy, and bringing in foreign investors in line with the renewed hope agenda of the President.”
Refuting claims that the buildings sat on a canal, he said: “They claimed the building sat on a canal, but that is false. The Trade Fair Management Board is very strict. Inspections are done during construction, and I always follow due process. Anyone can visit the site and see the building was not on a canal.” Magnus carried himself like a man determined to invest in a state he said he had lived for many years. “I am a graduate of the University of Lagos, where I was also a student union leader,” he added.
Reward for peace
President of the Association of Progressive Traders (APT) and Chairman of Stakeholders, Trade Fair Complex, Chief Eric Chukwuilechukwu, visibly struggled to contain his anger. But like Magnus, he, too, tempered his frustration with resolve.
He said said: “We tried to maintain peace because we are law-abiding. If we had reacted, our boys could have taken it roughly, and who knows how far it would have gone ? That was why we chose peace. One major thing I reminded Lagos State Government officials who were on ground on Thursday was that this is federal land. How many years has this complex been here? Coming to tell us this complex is now Lagos State territory is strange.”
Chief Eric recalled that this was not the first clash. He said : “Two years ago, LAWMA officials locked our gates for one week . Are there no governments? Are there no laws? If the populace see government as custodians of law, then due process should not be ignored.”
He confirmed that about 19 buildings were affected, but sas quick to add that the true count might be higher.
He said: “The individual owners are still compiling records of their losses. When they are ready, we will make it known.”
The affected traders are waiting patiently for next week meeting with the Lagos State Government. Part of the anticipated outcome according to some of them is whether owners of the demolished buildings will be compensated.
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