Civil society groups and affected traders have mounted fresh pressure on the Lagos State House of Assembly to intervene following the deadly raid on the Owode-Onirin Motor Spare Parts Market claimed six lives, left dozens wounded, and destroyed properties worth millions of naira. The incident, which occurred on Wednesday, August 27, 2025, has continued to spark anger and protests across Lagos, with victims’ families and human rights organisations demanding justice.
According to reports, armed men allegedly supported by four policemen brought from Nasarawa State stormed the market, opening fire on traders and destroying vehicles, shops, and goods. By the end of the attack, six traders were confirmed dead, several others sustained gunshot injuries, and over fifty vehicles were damaged. The deceased victims were identified as Mr. Seyi Akinboye, Mr. Adeoye Taiwo, Mr. Dare Mufutau, Mr. Aderemi Adeoye Hakeem, Mr. Abraham Idowu Temilola, and Mr. Wale Adebayo. Eyewitnesses say the attack was linked to a lingering land dispute involving a notorious land grabber, Abiodun “Hakeem” Ariori, who has allegedly been attempting to displace traders from the land using thugs and compromised police officers.
The violence came barely months after the Centre for Human and Socio-Economic Rights (CHSR) warned the Lagos State House of Assembly about a possible crisis in the market. The organisation had earlier submitted a petition on March 27, 2025, urging the Assembly to intervene before the situation escalated. The group said its warnings were ignored, and the result was the bloodbath of August 27.
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Protests and Petition to the Lagos State House of Assembly
On Tuesday, October 7, 2025, traders under the Owode-Onirin Marketers Association and CHSR staged a massive protest to the Lagos State House of Assembly, submitting a petition titled “When Justice Sleeps, Innocent Blood Cries.” The protesters carried placards demanding the resignation of the Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Lawal Pedro (SAN), whom they accused of bias and shielding powerful interests behind the crisis. They also called on the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to withdraw all police officers allegedly working with the land grabber and to prosecute those involved in the killings.
The petition, signed by CHSR President Comrade Alex Omotehinse, demanded that the Assembly constitute an independent investigative panel to probe the massacre, summon the Attorney General for questioning, and ensure compensation for families of the deceased. It also urged the Assembly to enact stronger laws against land grabbing and police complicity, insisting that the culprits must face justice in Lagos State, where the crime occurred.
Omotehinse condemned the police for transferring the accused officers to Abuja after the incident, where they were secretly tried in an orderly room session and released under the excuse of “self-defence.” He described the action as a travesty of justice and an insult to the memory of the victims. He also accused the Ministry of Justice of attempting to whitewash the killings, following public statements by the Attorney General claiming the incident was unrelated to land grabbing. According to CHSR, such statements are misleading and aimed at shielding those responsible for the bloodshed.
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In a shocking twist, families of the victims have reportedly been asked to pay for postmortem examinations before reclaiming the bodies of their loved ones. CHSR described this as barbaric, inhumane, and exploitative, noting that most of the deceased were breadwinners who left behind widows, aged parents, and children. The group said it was unacceptable for the state to demand money from grieving families in a case where the government had failed to protect their lives.
The petition concluded with a passionate appeal to the Lagos State House of Assembly to rise above politics and defend the sanctity of life and justice. It warned that the Owode-Onirin massacre represents a moral failure of governance in Lagos State and that justice delayed could become justice denied. “The blood of these six traders must not be silenced by bureaucracy or forgotten by time,” Omotehinse said. “Justice delayed is justice denied, and justice denied is democracy betrayed.
