The atmosphere was tense on Tuesday morning when security operatives began arriving at Kara market, which is a large plot of land dotted by shanties, makeshift structures, and heaps of debris, along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
The cattle market, bordered by Isheri, OPIC, and Ojodu, Berger, is popular for the large presence of cows, rams, and other animals.
Its premises and environs are characterised by fetid smell owing to the accumulation of human and animal wastes over the years.
While a large number of livestock owners gather there daily, when it is close to festive periods, the profusion of animal vendors and patrons in the market has been identified by motorists as one of its hallmarks.
Saturday PUNCH learnt that for a number of years, many traders have erected shanties and makeshift tents which they have converted to homes within the market, a development that has led residents to lament the prevalence of muggings, drug peddling, and other criminal activities in the area.
In the Kara-Ibafo axis, both traders and residents are also lamenting the rate at which shanties and makeshift tents keep springing up around the market area, leading to unhygienic conditions that are raising environmental concerns.
On October 22, the Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, in a statement issued by his Commissioner for the Environment, Ola Oresanya, gave the traders who have occupied the road setbacks along Kara, Isheri, and Warewa a 21-day ultimatum to vacate the area.
The governor promised to demolish the shanties in order to clean–up and beautify the areas, noting that several warnings, abatement notices, and other entreaties made to the traders to move to government-approved markets have not been heeded.
Abiodun said, “Their continuous stay in these filthy shanties, which they have converted to homes, are of hygienic concerns to the government as they practice open defecation which can lead to an outbreak of communicable diseases in adjoining communities.”
Illegal shanties removed
Our correspondent gathered that although there was mild opposition to the proposed exercise on Tuesday as some protesters were seen with sticks and cudgels, the heavy presence of security agencies prevented an outbreak of violence.
Trucks loaded with state task officials moved into the area, levelling shanties and other illegal structures around the market corridor.
Speaking with journalists during the demolition, the Senior Special Assistant to the Ogun State Governor on the Environment, Farooq Akintunde, explained that the exercise became important since the makeshift buildings and shanties had turned into danger zones for the residents, noting that criminals utilised them as hideouts too.
“This will be beneficial for the people, investors, and all the people that are likely going to be doing business with the Ogun State government. The government will not fold its hands and watch a few elements constitute themselves as security threats to our people while camouflaging to be traders in their illegal shanties and makeshift structures,” he said.
Commending the demolition, a resident in the OPIC area, Soji Olojede, said the cleaning of the Kara axis would halt the spread of diseases.
“There has been an accumulation of garbage and dirt in that area for so long and it’s dangerous to people’s health if allowed to continue. If you saw how people turned the whole place into a den for defecating, it’s disgusting. Between the road dividers from the cattle market to the long bridge is also littered with faeces. These things can cause diseases and things can go out of control.
“The state government came here with trucks to cart away the debris and washed the faeces with hot water. I am happy about the clearing of the whole area. This will stop the spread of diseases around here,” he said with a smile.
Also commenting on the activity of the state, another resident, Olabiyi Bamgbola, said, “Kara is supposed to be a fine area, but due to the negligence over the years, it was taken over by all sorts of characters. It has become a place where drug peddlers and other vices thrived over the years. This is a good move. It will put a stop to criminal activities.”
‘Kara-Ibafo also needs clearing’
Meanwhile, as the exercise to rid the state of miscreants and shanties that make nuisance of its aesthetics continue, some residents living close to another Kara market situated at Ibafo, in the Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of the state, have also decried the high number of filthy shanties in the area.
Muyiwa Saidu, a resident, lamented that the shanties, which kept increasing by the day, posed a serious threat to motorists and business owners.
He said, “This area too needs to be visited by the government. The heap of debris and the dirty makeshift tents are here too. Don’t let me speak about the stench. The state government also needs to clear this place and restore sanity in the environment.”
A trader, who gave his name simply as Joseph, complained that the area had become unsafe at night, adding that some criminals are known to harass people along the axis.
More demolition to come – Ogun govt
Meanwhile, the state Commissioner for Environment, Mr Ola Oresanya, during an interview aired by Channels Television on Thursday, disclosed that the demolition would be a continuous initiative that would extend all the way to the Sagamu interchange.
“We are running an extension of 20 metres on either side of the Sagamu interchange. We will create a walkway and a green belt over there. It’s a new settlement, but we will define how people will settle in that area. The kind of structures we put there will determine how we will function along that road,” he said.
The commissioner explained that the delayed relocation of people in the area was due to two ongoing projects. He added that the commencement of any action by the state government has to wait for the expressway to be completed by the Federal Ministry of Works.
