The Association of Motor Spare Parts Dealers in Ladipo market, Lagos on Wednesday announced closure of the market over alleged killing of traders by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) personnel.
Some air force personnel on Tuesday allegedly stormed the market and shot at traders following an argument over a motor spare part purchased by a soldier.
President of the association Jude Nwako announced the closure on Wednesday during a news conference.
Market leaders confirmed one death while three others were injured and receiving treatment at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH).
Mr Nwako said, “It is quite unfortunate that soldiers will come into the market and start shooting directly at traders like they are animals.
“It is getting out of hands, soldiers taking laws into their hands and we are here talking about Kickstarter worth of how much? N3,500. Somebody is dead which we don’t know how many have died, so many are still in the hospital.”
“We decided to shut down the market to show the world, to show Nigerians what happened in Ladipo and solidarise with the person that died,” he added.
Nwako said market leaders met army officials after the incident on Tuesday but the “intimidation in their office was so much.”
Narrating the incident, one of the traders Achuku Ezenwa told the news media that a military officer approached the public complaint committee of the market on Tuesday morning and complained over a kickstarter he purchased in January which cost between N3,500 and N4, 000.
“The officer left and after 10 minutes, he came back with OP Mesa and they started shooting,” he said.
All efforts to calm the situation failed, he added.
