Traders at the Alaba Rago Market in Ojo council of Lagos State have filed a suit challenging the 14-day eviction notice issued to them by the state government.

The ultimatum expires tomorrow.

The applicants, Alhaji Hussaini Lajawa, Alhaji Hamisu Mansur, Alhaji Muhammed Aminu and Pastor Timothy Asan, asked the Federal High Court in Lagos to restrain the government from evicting them or demolishing the market.

Respondents in the suit are the Lagos State Government alongside two of its commissioners, the Inspector General of Police, the Commander, Lagos Rapid Response Squad (RRS) and the Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences Unit (Task Force).

The traders’ comprising Hausa, Fulani, Tiv and other ethnic groups, claimed that the quit notice was biased against them on the basis of their ethnicities.

They prayed the court to order the respondents to pay them N50million as damages for the alleged discrimination, and to restrain the respondents from removing them from the market without any alternative, and to restrain the respondent from demolishing the market.

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Their other reliefs include “A declaration that the removal notice pasted only on the applicants at the market, who are Nigerians of the Hausa/Fulani extraction on the basis of their tribe while none was served on the Igbo and Yoruba who occupy Alaba International Market and Tanzan Market respectfully, is discriminatory and a breach of the Applicant’s fundamental right under Section 42 of the 1999 Constitution.”

“A declaration that the removal notice pasted on the applicant’s properties at Alaba Rago Market without following due process is unlawful and a breach of the Applicant’s right to properties as guaranteed by Section 43 of the Constitution.

“A declaration that the removal notice pasted on the applicants property at the market without any justifiable reason and thereby denying the Applicants of their means of livelihood, is in breach of the Applicants Fundamental Right to life under Section 33 of the Constitution.

The applicants suit, filed their counsel, O.K. Salawu and S.A. Salaudeen, was supported with a 22-paragraph affidavit.

No date has been fixed by the court for hearing.

The state issued the quit notice on May 19, via a statement on Twitter by the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the Governor of Lagos State on New Media, Jubril Gawat.