- He attacks us with thugs, others allege
- It’s all politics – Mozoba, market boss
- We’re already investigating crisis, says police spokesman
Things have, indeed, fallen apart and the centre cannot hold again, at the popular Alaba International Market, Ojo, Lagos.
Some aggrieved traders and the Acting Chairman of the Alaba International Market, Chief Emeka Mozoba, are now at loggerheads over the running of affairs at the market.
Infact, the leadership tussle between the leaders of the market is now threatening to assume a dangerous dimension with the occurrence of various untoward incidents, including alleged physical attack on perceived enemies by Mozoba’s supporters.
From hot verbal exchange, the situation has simply degenerated into violent physical attacks on some of the erring traders, who allegedly dared to oppose Mozoba on his handling of affairs at the market.
Already, the tense situation at the market has left one of the traders, Mr. Peter Ofoma, with life-threatening injuries. Ofoma, who was beaten into a state of coma by alleged supporters of the chairman and now lying critically ill in a hospital with a broken left ankle, is also facing the risk of losing his right eye.
Two weeks ago, Ofoma, a major dealer in phone accessories at the Alaba International Market, who controls several shops at the market, was allegedly waylaid by some suspected thugs during his visit to the market to ascertain the rationale behind the forcible closure of seven of his shops by the chairman.
when I was called by my workers that my shops had been locked, I rushed down to confirm it, only to be ambushed by some hoodlums directed by Mozoba. They almost killed me, I was seriously injured in my right eye and I don’t know if I’ll be able to see with it again. His thugs also robbed me of my two phones and money
Our correspondent gathered that trouble began for Ofoma about two weeks ago, when some of his workers at the market informed him of the forcible closure of his shops by some unknown persons. But while trying to find out why such an action was taken against his business interest at the market, he was allegedly cornered and beaten to a pulp by some unknown persons allegedly on the orders of the acting chairman of the market. During the attack on him, Ofoma was said to have also been robbed of his phone and money by the suspected thugs.
The trader, who fell into a coma while his ordeal at the hands of suspected thugs allegedly sent after him by Mozoba lasted, was only revived after he was rushed to a hospital.
A close friend of the victim, Sunday Ubong, who spoke with our correspondent, said Ofoma had since the incident been spending a fortune to treat his injuries while struggling to get back on his feet.
He said Ofoma, who owns shops Ab164, ABJNO8, A71MA, AR21, AR18, AR17, AB129 at the Alaba market, was ambushed by some hoodlums, when he was trying to find out why his shops were locked up.
“As I speak with you, he is still spending so much on the injuries he suffered from the hoodlums’ attack on him that day, especially his eyes. If you see him in the hospital, you will doubt if he would be able to make it back to life. His leg was broken, his eyes almost blinded, and with a lot of injuries,” he said.
Ubong alleged that Ofoma must have been battered because he was not in support of the acting chairman of the market.
“I suspect he was dealt with because he’s not in support of Emeka Mozoba, the acting chairman of the market,” he said.
But seriously injured Ofoma, who managed to speak with our correspondent as he writhed in pain on his hospital bed, said, “As I am speaking to you, I am yet to know the reason for the attack on me. My seven shops in the market have been locked by these people. On that day, when I was called by my workers that my shops had been locked, I rushed down to confirm it, only to be ambushed by some hoodlums directed by Mozoba. They almost killed me, I was seriously injured in my right eye and I don’t know if I’ll be able to see with it again. His thugs also robbed me of my two phones and money”.
While insisting that the hoodlums were allegedly sponsored by the acting chairman of the market, he said, “Mozoba sent the hoodlums to beat me after locking my shops. The case has been reported at Ojo Police Division, but he told the DPO that there was nothing he could do to him; that he is above the law.
“Before I went into a coma during the attack by the hoodlums, the last thing I heard was an instruction given to the thugs to get rid of me. I didn’t know my offence. I only remember that at the union meeting, where Emeka Mozoba decided to increase monthly security levy and many others levies from N1,200 to N1,700, I opposed it, because of the hard times many people are facing due to the forex issue and recession”.
Meanwhile, another trader in the market, who claimed to have suffered similar fate, Chief John Paul, also alleged that his two shops were locked up by the acting chairman of the market.
“This man has turned himself into monster in this market. This is the man who does not have an ordinary s h o p in Alaba, but because he was imposed on us by the former c h a i r m a n , he has been terrorising us and our lives are no longer safe. He equally locked my two shops and goods worth million are trapped in there. As I speak with you, my children can no longer go to school, because I’ve not been able to have access to my shop to sell off some of the goods to pay their tuition fee,” he said. He also explained that efforts made to report the case to the police had not been successful as the acting chairman of the market had allegedly continued to shun invitation to the station.
“We have reported him to the police, but he will tell them nothing will happen. Last week, when I was at Zone 2, where we petitioned the AIG, the police were even begging him and he was bragging. I wonder who he thinks he is that the police were begging him,” Paul said.
Our correspondent also learnt that the case had been reported to the Lagos State House of Assembly by the traders seeking the intervention of the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, and other lawmakers.
The aggrieved traders, in their petition to the Lagos State House of Assembly signed by their lawyers, Emeka Chukwumaife and Obianuju Madubugwu, accused Mozoba of stockpiling arms at the market and using heavily armed thugs to unleash terror on shop owners and other traders alike.
Some of the traders listed in the petition as complainants are John Nwachukwu, Izuchukwu Ojukwu, Chief Amara Obikobe, Chief Ifeanyi Chima, Chief John Paul Ajuonwu, Eselu Chujwudi, Peter Ofoma, Anayo Nwogu, Tony Onwujekwe, Obinna Umeh and Chief Maduka Arubaluezeama.
The traders further urged the lawmakers to investigate the alleged financial impropriety and embezzlement of the market union funds by Mozoba, and his allies, including Uchechukwu Chukwuma, Chibuzor Obi, Ogonna, Ifebueme Francis Okafor and Uche Lasisi.
They also claimed that Mozoba had never submitted himself to any lawful authority, “As he has enlisted the assistance of the police to aid and abet crime in the market.”
They appealed to the Speaker to intervene and unlock their shops unlawfully sealed by Mozoba in order to entrench law and order.
When our correspondent visited the market, 22 shops suspected to be owned by the aggrieved traders were still under lock and key. Some of the shops bear tags as B04, AB6, APP128, APP 106 and so on.
Mozoba, in his reaction, told our correspondent on the phone that the matter was a ‘political’ one, which the media should not dabble in.
He argued that as the acting chairman of the market, he had been empowered to take any action he deemed fit for its proper running.
The acting chairman, however, declined to speak on the allegations levelled against him by Ofoma and other traders.
“This is a political matter. It’s an issue that concerns the market where we trade, and I don’t know who brought the press into it. The press is on their own and market is on its own and I am the chairman of the market and that is what I will tell you. This is politics, they made me the acting chairman, and I am there as the acting chairman of the market. That is all I can tell you,” he said.
A lawmaker representing Ojo Constituency, Hon. Victor Akande, confirmed that he was aware of the traders’ petition to the state Assembly.
A police source at the Ojo Police Division confirmed the incidents at the market, adding that the investigations had been transferred to the Zone 2 Police Command.
The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Assistant Superintendent of Police OLarinde Famous-Cole, said that the police had already launched an investigation into the crisis going on at the Alaba Market to ensure peace.
“The case is known to us and investigation is already on going over it,” Famous-Cole said.
