Ibafo residents commend plan to relocate Kara market

Kara Market Ibafo

Residents of Ibafo in Obafemi Owode Local Government Council of Ogun State have commended the state government over the plan to relocate traders at Kara market,  Ibafo, on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway to somewhere else.


The state overnment through Obafemi-Owode Local Government Council recently gave ultimatum to traders in the market to vacate the place.

This decision, Community News learnt, did not go down well with the traders in the market, who staged a peaceful protest to press home their request to remain in the place.

The traders who were mostly Hausa, in some of their placards, lamented that the action of the state government, if carried out, would put them out of business.

Some of the placards read: Amosun, leave us alone, we are not Boko Haram; Amosun, listen to words of wisdom; We are also Nigerians, don’t treat us like strangers.”

However, some of the residents of Ibafo who spoke to Community News, commended that the state government for taking the initiative to relocate the market.

However, the residents lamented that series of illegal activities were being perpetrated in the market and that the traders behaved as if they were above the law.

“We are very grateful to the state government for planning to relocate the people. Their presence is a security threat to the residents. There are cases where armed robbers used the market as hideout and Police were always scared of going to arrest suspects inside the market. Relocating them will bring  the much desired peace and tranquility to the area.”

Another resident explained that the market was responsible of incessant cases of auto accidents and fire outbreaks in the area. This, he said was because most petrol tanker drivers often stopped to patronize prostitutes in the market, thus abandoned their vehicles on the road for days.

“Relocating them will put a final stop to series of fatal auto accidents which are usually witness on the express. Again, incessant cases of fire out-break will stop. Because, relocating them will mean that tanker drivers who usually throng the place to patronise prostitutes would stop and there will be peace in the area.”