KAI: Traders Enemy

Segun Majekodunmi

Traders in Iyana-Ipaja area of Lagos State have strongly condemed the
incessant raids they have strongly condemed the incessant raid they
have suffered at the hands of the Kick Against Indiscpline (KAI)
officials in the state.
Speaking to New Telegraph a trader who identified herself as Onyebuchi
Fiona said they had suffered a colossal loss to the officials of KAI
and that this indeed is a bad situation for her; "What is happening to
us here is very bad and it leaves a sour taste in our mouth because as
I am, am a widow with three children so if they send me away from here
where else will I go? Because the market is filled up and I must feed
my children so I have no choice than to still stay here". One Mrs
Funmilayo Oyelade also a trader said "The market is filled up with
traders and we decided to come because some people don't like to enter
the main market so we comming  to the road side is to ease people's
stress and goods are even cheaper"
  A fruit seller Mrs Yusuf revealed to our correspondent that in most
cases some of the traders arrested and detained "Some of us are been
arrested and detained and if we put up any form of resistance, some of
our members have also suffered various degrees of injuries while
trying to quickly clear our goods when the KAI officials, who are
usually accompanied by mobile policemen; arrive they are often very
rough during their raids and we are appealing to the Governor to
please help us because we have families to feed"
Revealing to us Paul Udoma a boutique owner said "Even if the state
Goverment is trying to beautify the state that dosen't mean the common
man will not eat again or be able to feed his family? It is a shame.
They cart away our goods and wares worth hundreds of thousands of
naira, as if that is not enough they destroy our shop kiosk and tables
used to shade our wares"

When Mrs Oyelade was  asked if they thought the way they displayed and
sell  their goods by roadside was right and if they realised that the
way and manner with which they sold impeded the free flow of vehicular
and human traffics, she said "What do you want us to do? If the market
is big enough we will go we only sell here because we don't have
another place to go"