The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Alaba market

  • JUST IN: Fire Guts shops at Alaba Market

    JUST IN: Fire Guts shops at Alaba Market

    A devastating fire on Tuesday evening engulfed parts of the popular Alaba International Market in Lagos, destroying several shops and causing widespread panic among traders.

    A live TikTok broadcast by user KB Clothings showed thick smoke rising from different sections of the market as traders and onlookers cried helplessly.

    Many traders were seen weeping over the loss of their goods, while others made desperate attempts to retrieve their wares before the flames spread to adjoining shops.

    Read Also: MAN honours Otu for championing made-in-Nigeria goods ‎

    Operatives of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service were also seen at the scene battling to contain the inferno, though the fire was still raging as of the time of filing this report.

    Eyewitnesses could be heard shouting for help as the flames tore through rows of locked shops and warehouses, with some traders accusing market security of responding too slowly.

    The Alaba International Market, located along the Lagos-Badagry expressway, is one of Nigeria’s largest electronics and building materials hubs, housing thousands of traders from across the country and West Africa.

  • Traders allege security breakdown in Alaba Market

    ALABA Market traders have complained of security breakdown at the market. They claimed that a shop owner, Mr Azubuike Ekwerekwu is harbouring hoodlums in the market. But Ekwerekwu denied the allegation, describing it as a smear campaign. President Alaba Amalgamated Traders Association of Nigeria, Emeka Mozoba who also chairs the Fancy and Furniture Dealers Association (FFDA), said: “Ekwerekwu recruited hoodlums and they have invaded our market. The lives of people as well as our goods are in danger because we record robbery and harassment cases daily.” The traders, he said, were afraid of reporting the cases, “because whoever does, may be the next victim. Besides, if the case is reported and the hoodlums are arrested, Ekwerekwu will ensure they are released the following day.”

    He appealed to government to come to their aid, saying:  “We want government to send police to Alaba Market to come and control the situation because it is getting out of hand. The market is totally in disarray and our lives are in danger. “We have complained and written a lot of petitions to the police but nothing has been done. Copies of the letter were sent to the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Ojo, Area Commander in FESTAC; Commissioner of Police and the Inspector-General of Police, but nothing has been done.” Ekwerekwu, he claimed, said nobody could touch nor harm him.

    “This man just owns a property in Alaba and he is not the only property owner in the market. But he is interested in the politics of the market and he has sworn that if his candidate is not one of those managing the market, he will remove the person and ensure that the market is not at peace. “Everybody in the vicinity knows that this man is sponsoring all the cult boys and hoodlums in the market.

    They attack shops in broad daylight and move around with guns, so everybody is afraid of their lives.” But Ekwerekwu said Mozoba has no business in the market, stating “I don’t stay in Alaba, I only have property there. I stay on Awolowo Road in Ikoyi. What happened was that, Emeka was not elected in that office, he was appointed by me and after that a story came which was confirmed that he was an ex-convict, I told him to quit that office. We confirmed it that he was in prison in Thailand for 13 years and came back and served another four years in Umuahia Prison, so I invited him and asked him to resign that was when I became a bad person. “When he refused to resign, eight out of 12 of them resigned and he was impeached… he later appointed another eight persons to replace the ones that left. Emeka has no single shop or business in Alaba.”

  • Fire destroys N30m worth of goods in Alaba market

    Fire destroys N30m worth of goods in Alaba market

    GOODS worth the sum of N30million were yesterday destroyed in a midnight inferno at Ojo Alaba international market, Lagos.

    The fire reportedly started around 11p.m from some makeshift canteens located by the ground section of the affected building, Anarchy Plaza. It houses about hundred shops.

    The burnt section was a super movie store consisting of four merged shops.

    Eyewitnesses said smoke signal was initially noticed from the refuse heap in front of the plaza the noon before but wasn’t taken seriously until the heat intensified and escalated into the huge inferno.

    The bulk of the loss were video CDs of foreign movies, cartoons and audio-visual players.

     Others were polythene nylon, diaper and beverages sold in nearby makeshift structures.

    According to the market’s Chief Security Officer, (CSO), Mr Okechukwu Chinweze, the Lagos Fire Service helped to contain fire from spreading to other plaza as not handle the fire. “In the afternoon, I saw fire there beside the plaza that got burnt but it wasn’t serious. Around 11pm, we just saw fire sprouting underneath the refuse. And the content of the refuse is mainly rubbers.

    That aided it and started spreading to other areas. It caught one of the generators at HP plaza but we protected the area. It was under control and we were even jubilating until we saw fire oozing out of the affected shop around 1:30pm. We tried to fight it with detergent and water. We have fire extinguishers but we were confused when the fire broke out. It was beyond the control of portable extinguishers.

    The fire service men exhausted their three trucks before it was put out.” He said the indiscriminate refused disposal also contributed to the fire as traders were negligent in proper management of their wastes. “The LAWMA officials do come but some people are stubborn. They have already made the announcement for them to stop dumping refuse in the open space. But as of now they have been here today evacuate the waste. The people are to keep their refuse until the LAWMA comes for them. They come twice a week.”

    An official of the market association, Finance Supervisor, Fancy Furniture Dealers, Prince Jude Osita shower praise on the Lagos Fire Service for prompt response and provision of adequately kitted ambulance. He noted that their unprecedented support avert what could have been a more severe loss. “What happened is just minor negligence because the fire started from the kitchen that was not well built.

    It escalated to the plaza and before security people raised alarm, they started applying water and detergent. The information was passed to the fire service and the police. In short, I want to use this opportunity to thank the Lagos State Fire Service. They tried and they are well equipped because when Ojo fire service section water finished, they signalled Festac and they came to support them. I didn’t even know that they have a well equipped ambulance until we had two casualties, a member of the service and a member of our market.

    The fire service man collapsed and ambulance took him to general hospital. After that iron hit one of our members and that was when I knew that they have well equipped ambulance. I commend the Lagos State government. There were two nurses on ground to treat the guy that midnight. The two truck they brought finished and they went to bring another one. They worked up to 7hours here.” He however, condemned the rejection of a casualty by the Igando General Hospital, saying “The General Hospital refused to treat him. They treated

  • Union to flush criminals out of Alaba market

    Union to flush criminals out of Alaba market

    The newly executives of Alaba International Market have vowed to make the environment uncomfortable for armed robbers and criminals.

    The association’s President, Emeka Mozoba, stated this on behalf of the executive shortly after they were sworn in at the union’s secretariat.

    He warned cult members and criminals to leave the market, insisting that that there would be robust partnership with security agencies to flush them out.

    Pledging his commitment to peace, security and progress of the market, Mozoba said traffic congestion would be addressed.

    He said: “Under our watch, there would be no sectionalism. Everyone would be treated like brothers.  We would create enabling environment for our legitimate businesses to progress. Alaba is an International market. It is Africa’s largest electronics and IT market and so, we see no reason why it should not have a befitting recognition.

    “For armed robbers, cultists and other criminals who think they can hide in this market, those days are past. We would flush them out because we are committed to ensuring peace and security here. We would also address the issue of traffic congestion.

    “Already, we have begun consultations with appropriate authorities to relocate street traders into the market. We are also working on creating a park for trucks and heavy duty vehicles coming into the market so that the roads can be free.

    “Also, the issue of flooding would be addressed as we are already clearing the canal. As the home of Nollywood, electronics and technology, believe that the government needs to project the market correctly so that foreigners coming into Nigeria would be able to identify and respect the market.

    “We have discussed that with the government and they have agreed to put an electronic billboard at Volks. It would carry the names of all the big players in the market and by so doing, the government would also generate income.

    “We are also working to eradicate fake products in the market. As Interim President, I inaugurated a taskforce and they have been working to apprehend people bringing in fake goods.”

    On the alleged factionalism of the trader’s association, Mozoba denied it, insisting that it was a minority who were being used by an opposition.

    “There is no faction in Alaba International Amalgamated Trader’s Association. No previous election has been held. What played out was that about three or four persons allowed themselves to be used by someone who doesn’t want orderliness in this market. We just hope that they open their eyes soon enough and return home because we are one,” he said.

  • Suspected film pirate nabbed in Lagos

    Suspected film pirate nabbed in Lagos

    • IG orders that case be moved to Abuja
    This may be the beginning of a real legal battle against intellectual property theft, as a suspected pirate, Eze Obasi, on Tuesday, was apprehended in Alaba market, Lagos, following tip off.
    This happened two days after the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, during a meeting with stakeholders in the film industry declared war against pirates, “this is totally unacceptable!” he said. “This Administration is determined to fight this scourge, and the good news is that we have the backing of Mr. President.
    Obasi may just be the first of similar cases to be attacked with all seriousness, as the Inspector General of Police (IG), Solomon Arase has ordered the transfer of Obasi to Abuja.
    Arase was acting on the directive of the Minister of Information and Culture, who was contacted by a prominent member of the film industry who craved anonymity.
    Earlier, filmmakers were agitated over the relocation of Obasi, thinking it was another ploy to release the suspect, who has the backing of king pins in the market.
    But the Special Assistant to the Minister of Information and Culture, Williams Adeleye confirmed to The Nation that his boss was indeed aware of the case and had contacted the IG about it.
    Speaking to The Nation at the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC)’s office where he was taken to on Thursday for questioning, Obasi admitted to the crime, saying; “They caught me with pirated movies.”
    Although the NCC officials would not allow our reporter take the picture of the suspect, they let him talk to us at length. He is a man in his early thirties.
    He confessed that he was on his way to make supply, having prepared the waybill.
    One of the major films being processed by obasi as at the time he was caught was Lancelot Oduwa Imasuen’s movie, Invasion 1897. He claimed he is new in the business.
    “It was after Invasion 1897 came out. That was when customers were demanding for it, my customer told me to send him some copies of the film.”
    But contrary to Obasi’s claim, prominent movie marketer, Gabriel Okoye, aka Gabosky, said Obasi had indeed been arrested for similar case in the past.
    You must have been doing the business before for you to know that customers are demanding for Invasion 87, The Nation asked. “Customers do buy different market so they know want, I’ve not been doing it for a long time,” he insisted, but added he was merely dealing in foregn films before now.
    “It was where I went to but that I saw this one (Invasion 1897)  na im I cun buy am to go do waybill,” he said in pigeon.
    How do you do the waybill you share to other people for sale? He replied: “Na only one guy call me I cun go carry am so as I carry am dey go do waybill na em police catch me for road.”
    He said further, his voice unstable: “I don’t know, I am just begging the owners of the movies to temper justice with mercy and I promise that I won’t do it again.  I know that it is not good and it’s not that I really want to be doing this business but it is because of my background and assuming I have enough capital I would gone abroad to start a business or maybe be an importer. I am even planning to further my education because I am just an O’level holder.
    “It’s not that am really doing it to wicked the owners of the movies, am just trying to raise money to further my education. Please I am begging for forgiveness I promise I won’t do it again.”
    Who are the people that supply him these movies? “These people are inside Alaba international market,” he said. “Even though the Alaba government is against it they are doing it secretly, Alaba market no allow this kind thing.”How come they are doing this and the Alaba authorities don’t know? “Maybe they are settling some people. “That means there are corrupt officials among the Alaba government? “I don’t know my brother just help me beg them,” were his words.
    According to Gabosky, CEO of G-Media who was at the NCC office early Thursday, “Invasion 1897 belongs to Lancelot Imasuen and it was released by G-Media on the 15Th of February.”
    He narrated the incidents that led to the arrest of Obasi.
    “Majorly, the film is about Benin Kingdom and the position of the then Oba in1897 and Lancelot went to Benin and solicited with the people and the Oba not to allow the scourge of piracy that is bedeviling the industry to extend there with that film Invasion and they promised. So when this pirate, Eze Obasi way-billed it to somebody in Benin, the person returned it to him saying that he will not because he doesn’t want the curse they will place on whoever pirates the movie in Benin to extend to him.
    “This was how the police at Ojo were contacted and they sprang into action. I asked them what their plan was for the pirate, they said they will take him to court because they can’t hold him for more than 48hours. I know that once they take him to magistrate court they will discharge him and they will go without any more follow up. I had to call the NCC since this copyright issue is on exclusive legislative list which allows the Copyright Commission to be the only legal body to prosecute on behalf of the Federal Government of Nigeria.
    ‘This morning the copyright commission followed up by sending an officer to Ojo Cantonment, I also sent my own lawyer to supervise and they brought the guy, Eze Obasi.
    “When they brought him here, I now saw that it was the same guy that we arrested when he pirated October 1 by Kunle Afolayan. When we arrested him then, the Alaba people fought that we couldn’t do anything, it became a problem to remove him from Alaba market so we had to use Alaba market chairman to get him to write an undertaken that he will not do this thing again which he did and we seized the copies of the works from him.
    “So when I saw that he is the same person again I asked him; were you not the one who signed this undertaken? He said yes, he say na devil. I had to come here to oblige them my statement, called Lancelot to oblige them his statement. Let’s see what will happen again because we are handicapped by the kind of law we are using to prosecute these criminals.”
    Gabosky lamented that, “Most of the producers are down, some are dying of hunger because these boys are moving from one clan which is Abakaliki and they are just pirating people’s work, getting richer while the government is not doing anything.”
    He expressed regrets that although the Copyright Commission will charge him to court and then start prosecuting him, “but sometimes they will be on that prosecution while the suspect goes back and continues the business because the fine they give them is nonsense.”
    The NCC official, Mr Joe however declined comments on the matter.