No fewer than 19 buildings were on Thursday demolished at the New Mandela Plaza inside the bustling Trade Fair Complex, Lagos, in a massive exercise that left traders counting multi-million-naira losses.
The operation, executed under heavy security presence, saw officers from the Lagos State Task Force, Rapid Response Squad, and other tactical units cordon off the plaza while bulldozers moved in. Convoys of trucks blocked access routes as armed operatives dispersed traders who attempted to film the demolition.
By midday, several structures had already been reduced to rubble, sparking outrage among occupants and shop owners, many of whom alleged that they were not issued prior notice.
Goods and property worth millions of naira were trapped inside shops as bulldozers pulled down the buildings. Distraught traders said the demolition has dealt a devastating blow to their businesses.
“We don’t even know the reason for the demolition,” one stunned trader told reporters. “People are just moving up and down, asking questions.”
Another trader suggested that some structures may have been marked for being too close to a canal, though many denied this claim.
A plaza owner who arrived only to find his property under demolition insisted he was never served a notice. Sales representatives lamented that their employers’ stocks had been destroyed.
Some affected traders estimated that each of the 19 demolished buildings was valued at over ₦150 million.
Chief Magnus Ike, Chief Executive Officer of Magnus Merchandise, watched helplessly as his multi-billion-naira property came down.
“I have never received any notice from the Lagos State Government,” Ike said. “This building had federal approval and was inspected by the Ministry of Environment. Due process requires notice, and none was given. You don’t let people take loans, borrow money from banks, and then destroy their investments overnight.”
Dismissing claims that his property sat on a canal, he declared: “Look around—there is no canal here. Whatever their reasons are, they must follow due process.”
Despite his loss, Ike remained defiant: “Demolition or not, I will keep building. Lagos belongs to all of us, we are not going anywhere.”
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