The Arewa Broadcast Media Practitioners Forum (ABMPF) has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene in what it describes as a sustained “onslaught” against Northern traders in Lagos, following the recent demolition of the Alaba Rago Market by the Lagos State Government.
In a statement issued on Sunday and signed by its Chairman, Abdullahi Yelwa, the Forum strongly condemned the demolition exercise, which reportedly affected hundreds of shops and over 40 mosques. The group alleged that the operation disproportionately targeted Northerners and their businesses.
According to the ABMPF, the demolition was carried out without prior notice or due process, leaving thousands of traders unable to recover their goods or property. The Forum estimated economic losses at over ₦20 billion and accused the state government of masking a land grab under the guise of modernisation.
“This inhumane action, which has left thousands of Northerners without a source of livelihood, is a clear manifestation of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s desire to drive away members of certain ethnic groups from Lagos State,” the statement read.
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The Forum warned that such actions risk fueling retaliatory sentiments in Northern Nigeria and called on Northern political, traditional, and religious leaders to intervene before tensions escalate further.
They noted that Alaba Rago Market has existed for over 80 years and serves as a major trading hub for Northern communities in Lagos. Labeling its residents and traders as squatters, the Forum argued, is both unjust and historically inaccurate.
Drawing comparisons with Northern states such as Kaduna and Katsina where Yoruba communities reportedly live peacefully and own property without discrimination, the ABMPF decried what it sees as a double standard.
“It is therefore absurd for the Lagos State Government to treat Northerners in Alaba, who have lived there for generations, as non-indigenes who can be evicted at will,” the statement continued.
The Forum further alleged that the demolition is part of a broader agenda to “Yorubanize” Lagos by marginalizing non-Yoruba residents an approach it described as unconstitutional and dangerously divisive.
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