Hundreds of voices rose as one on Friday at Bodija International Market, Ibadan, where fear, anger and desperation collided over a single letter.
The Aare-Latosa Local Council Development Area had ordered more than 1,000 shops to be pulled down within 21 days, and the traders behind the Bodija Police Station say their world is about to collapse.
Carrying placards and chanting for help, the traders marched through the market in a peaceful but urgent protest. Their plea was direct: Governor Seyi Makinde must step in now, before families lose everything.
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21 Days to Pack Up: “We Were Never Consulted”
The demolition notice, dated August 14, 2026, landed like a bomb. According to traders’ leader, Alhaji Wasiu Agbaje, the Aare-Latosa LCDA gave them three weeks to vacate with zero warning, zero dialogue.
“We were surprised to receive a demolition letter dated 14th August, 2026, by Aare-Latosa Local Council Development Area, ordering us to vacate our shops within 21 days,” Agbaje told journalists.
For many, the shops are not just structures. They are years of sweat, loans, and the only roof over their children’s heads.
“This Will Destroy Families”: Livelihoods on the Line
Bappa Hurso, Secretary of the Arewa Traders Association, Bodija, said the plan would plunge thousands into hardship. Most of the affected traders have operated in that section for years and have invested heavily in stock and equipment.
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“Demolishing more than 1,000 shops without alternative arrangements will throw many families into hardship,” Hurso warned. He described the planned exercise as a direct threat to survival in a city where markets are the heartbeat of daily income.
We Want Dialogue, Not Destruction
Despite the tension, the protest remained peaceful. Traders said they believe in due process and are asking for investigation, not confrontation. Their demand is simple: pause the demolition, sit with them, and find a solution that does not trade buildings for broken homes.
As the 21-day countdown ticks, all eyes are now on the Oyo State Government to decide if Bodija will be rebuilt with its people, or rebuilt over the
