The agency was reportedly enforcing a court judgment against the neighbouring Agbajoowo Market, but traders claimed that LASBCA wrongfully extended the exercise into Owode Market, destroying hundreds of shops in the process.
The Centre for Human and Socio-Economic Rights (CHSR) has raised the alarm over the alleged unlawful invasion and demolition of over 500 shops at Owode Motor Spare Part Market, Owode Onirin, by the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA).
The organisation called on Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to intervene urgently to prevent further destruction and economic hardship for affected traders.
According to CHSR, the demolition took place in the early hours of Thursday, March 6, 2025, when LASBCA officials, accompanied by police officers and armed thugs, stormed the market.
The agency was reportedly enforcing a court judgment against the neighbouring Agbajoowo Market, but traders claimed that LASBCA wrongfully extended the exercise into Owode Market, destroying hundreds of shops in the process.
In a petition addressed to Governor Sanwo-Olu, CHSR President, Comrade Alex Omotehinse, described the demolition as a "brazen act of land grabbing" that threatens the economic stability of Lagos State.
He emphasized that the market provides livelihoods for thousands of traders and serves as a key economic hub.
The traders also accused security operatives of targeting their association chairman, Comrade Abiodun Hammed, who was arrested and detained at FCID Alagbon before being granted bail.
According to them, the police imposed stringent conditions on him, barring him from the market and restricting his involvement in market affairs.
With billions of naira worth of goods lost and traders now struggling to rebuild their lives, CHSR is urging Governor Sanwo-Olu to take swift action to address the injustice and prevent further destruction.
The organisation insists that the affected traders deserve fair treatment and protection under the law.
The statement reads in part; "The Centre for human and Socio-economic Rights (CHSR) is a public good oriented membership based Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) registered as a corporate body to defend, sustain and promote the fundamental human and socioeconomic rights of citizens and residents in any part of Nigeria as guaranteed by the 1999 constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria as amended.
"CHSR collaborates with other organizations committed to an ideal Nigerian society founded on participatory democracy, equity, fairness and rule of law, and we have also worked with state and non-state actors, institutions and stakeholders in communities and neighborhood towards ensuring fairness, justice and harmony with the view to curtailing violent incidences and threats to public peace.
"In view of our activities above, we received a complaint letter from the Owode Motor Spare Part Association that reads as follows:
"That the Owode motor spare part Market is an internationally recognize market that was relocated to this site from the popular Jankara market in the Lagos Island by the then Governor of Lagos state late. Alhaji Lateef Jakande of blessed memory sometimes in the early 80s.
"That Over the years the traders in this motor spare part market have been law abiding, comporting themselves in an orderly manner, and has been operating and carrying out their businesses within the confers of the law.
"That On Thursday 6th day of march 2025 at about 04:30 the men and officers of the LAGOS STATE BUILDING CONTROL AGENCY (LASBCA) along with some policemen and hundreds of thugs armed with various dangerous weapon invaded the Owode Market with the aim of carrying out an enforcement of a certain judgement against a section of the market i.e Agbajoowo Market that share a common boundary with the Owode Motor Spare Part Market.
"That it is a known fact that for some years there has been a legal battle on the ownership of the land where the Agbajoowo Market was situated and there is no discrepancy on the boundary but to their dismay LASBCA as a government agency stormed into their market in a gestapo manner with retinue of unofficial men to demolished more than 500 shops in a jiffy.
"That the Owode Motor Spare Part Market is comprising of six zones and each zone has over 200 shops with thousands of traders that their socio-economic life depends on sales makes in their shop on daily basis and as at the time of the so-called enforcement of the said judgement on Agbajoowo Market by the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) they trespassed and demolished over 500 shops in the zone M and Zone 5 with goods worth billions of naira.
"That the Association Chairman Comrade Abiodun Hammed was arrested and whisked away to FCID Alagbon where he was detained and later released on bail and that the FCID Alagbon Police gave the chairman a stringent condition that he must not come close to the market for weeks and that he should not intervene in market issue for now until they tell him to do SO.
"That the Association Chairman Comrade Abiodun Hammed, lost his three shops to the illegal demolition therefore it sounds somehow if truly the police from FCID can make such statement when they failed to arrest the non-state actors engaged by the LASBCA to carry out this wicked act of demolition.
"That they want our organization to help them in prevailing on the authority to intervene on their matter in other to stop LASBCA from further damaging of their shops and goods.
"In the foregoing, the CHSR as a reputable human and socio-economic rights organization with a track record on equity, fairness, justice and rule of law, sees this brazen act of land grabbing not only violates the fundamental property rights of the legitimate land owners but also poses a significant threat to the economic stability of our dear state, and the Market serves as a vital hub in ensuring access to fresh produce for countless families and providing livelihoods for numerous traders.
"We hereby appeal to your excellency good office and person as the number one citizen of the state that holds the welfare of the citizenry in high esteem to intervene so as not to throw the marketers into the street."
The Owode Motor Spare Part Market, which was relocated to its current site in the early 1980s under the administration of Lateef Jakande, is a major commercial hub known internationally for the sale of motor spare parts.