Lagos govt demolished entire Alaba international market? Fact emerges

One of the buildings to be demolished

A message posted on the social networking sites, Twitter and Facebook, claims that the Lagos state government plans to demolish Alaba international market.

Alaba is a popular electronics market located in Ojo, Lagos state, southwest Nigeria.

The post reads: “Alaba international market Lagos to be demolished. This Lagos state government have asked Ndigbo to pack their good and leave. No place was allocated to them."

Legit.ng reports that Alaba market is dominated by Igbo people — those the poster referred to as ‘Ndigbo’.

The same post can be found here, and here. But did the Lagos state government under the administration of Babajide Sanwo-Olu, announce plans to demolish Alaba market?

The claim comes amid accusations of the persecution of Igbo people in the state. A fact-checking platform, Africa Check, investigated the claim.

On the Lagos state government’s official website, authorities said it will mobilise its demolition gang to pull down about 17 distressed buildings being used for commercial purposes within Alaba market.

The information was shared on Saturday, June 17, 2023, and reported by Channels Television. Also, according to the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR), Gbolahan Oki, the general manager of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), said owners of the buildings were served a seven-year notice.

Lagos state has been confronted with numerous cases of building collapse across the state with reported high casualty figures. The most notable of the building collapse cases is that of a 21-storey building under construction and situated on Gerard Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, killing about 46 persons.

The Lagos state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, met with those affected in Alaba, including Igbo leaders, to clear up misunderstandings about the demolition. Contrary to the impression being created by those spreading the claim, the government's demolition of 17 dilapidated buildings in Alaba market was not an annihilation of the entire market.