The crisis at the Aguiyi Ironsi International market at Ladipo Market took another dimension over attempts by their Chairman, Chief Chukwuma Onyebinanma, to conduct election in total disregard to Court order not hold election in the market by the Lagos State High Court.
Inspiration FM reports that crisis erupted in the market and the Mushin Local Government, which is the owner of the market, took over and temporarily shut the market in order to restore peace. The Chairman, Chief Onyebinanma, vice chairman, Cajetan Anigbo, the electoral committee chairman, Fatai Adefat and security chairman have been arrested and flown to Abuja over violent attacks in the market.
Trouble started after Chief Onyebinanma’s purported plans to rig the market election by appointing cronies as electoral committee members to conduct election on 16th November, 2024, failed following the extension of the Court order not to hold election by the Lagos State High Court.
The Presiding Judge, Justice A.M. Lawal, who had earlier given order on 8th October, 2024, further ordered Chief Onyebinanma not to conduct election in the market and gave 21 days extension of the interlocutory injunction, which was served on Chukwuma Onyebinanma on the ex-part motion with the suit number ID/8580GCM/2024.
However, this angered Chief Onyebinanma as he dared the judge and insisted that he must conduct the election despite the Court order and directed his electoral committee to go on with the election.
The information got to the Commissioner of Police, who summoned Onyebinanma but he snubbed the CP and continued with his plans to conduct the election despite warning by the Commissioner of Police for him to comply with the order of the Court.
According to the traders, Chief Chukwuma Onyebinanma arranged with some unknown security men and secretly went to the market at night with the electoral committee chairman and market security to conduct the election having set up canopies and chairs including ballot papers.
The Police officers mobilized to the market were intimidated and over powered before the Commissioner of Police reinforced. He sent the Task Force to stop the election and arrested the key suspects behind the plan to conduct the election.
The situation led to violent clashes within the market and the Mushin Local Government authority moved into the market, shut it and mobilized the Police to protect the market while all the thugs and security guards engaged by Onyebinanma fled and are now on the run.
When our correspondent visited the market, everywhere was calm and the Police were seen at the entrance to the market to check any break down of law and order.
Chief Chukwuma Onyebinanma is now facing jail term for Contempt of Court for appointing electoral committee members, campaigning for the election and conducting election in the market against the Court Order.
Already Forms 48 and 49 have been filed before the Court for his committal to prison for contempt before he went on with the failed election. He was said to be facing another charge on violent attacks on the traders perceived as opponents at the Force Headquarters, Abuja.
