Hoodlums destroy properties worth millions of naira in Akure

Akure, the Ondo State capital, was on Tuesday thrown into pandemonium as persons suspected to be hoodlums, backed by bulldozers, allegedly demolished shops and destroyed goods worth millions of naira, leaving scores of traders counting huge losses and pleading for government intervention.

It was gathered that the hoodlums invaded the popular FUTA South Junction with bulldozers in the early hours of Tuesday to cause mayhem.

The attackers, said to be about 20 in number, reportedly descended on the commercial hub in the early hours of the day, pulling down containers and destroying provisions, food items, household goods, soft drinks, sachet water, and other merchandise despite frantic protests from affected traders.

BusinessDay reports that the incident is believed to be connected to a lingering ownership dispute over the land, with traders claiming they became victims of conflicting claims by different parties.

Our Correspondent, who was at the scene of the incident could see how traders on the land and people around the area were crying, calling on individuals and the government to come to their aides.

A trader, Hellen Chidinma, who spoke with newsmen expressed disappointment at the level of damage caused by the hoodlums.

According to her, they had received a quit notice about three months ago from an individual claiming ownership of the property, but the landlord they had been paying rent to dismissed the notice and advised them to forward it to his lawyer.

She explained that after another 11-day notice expired, the claimant allegedly returned with a fresh threat to demolish the structures, prompting traders to report the matter to the police.

Chidinma said that despite the police intervention, bulldozers eventually arrived at the site, and the demolition commenced, destroying businesses built over several years.

Another affected traders, Seyi Jonathan said “for a very long period of time, there has been an issue on the land. So years back like eight years, a particular family who happens to be the owner of the land appeared.

“Later we got to know that they sold the land to another somebody, they even went to the court, along the way the owner of the land died. We later got to know that the both parties now joined hands together and sold the land to another person who now brought the quit notice and we have paid another rent to them.

“Suddenly we just saw bulldozers this morning, that we should pack our properties, before we know it they started destroying our goods worth millions of naira with bulldozers.”

As of the time of filing this report, no official statement had been issued by the police or the Ondo State Government on the demolition and the circumstances surrounding the operation.