Market leader & Tinubu’s daughter Folashade Tinubu-Ojo reopens sealed market, ...allegedly demands traders' APC membership cards!

Abibatu Mogaji Model Market, popularly called Iponri Market in Lagos State, has been opened 10 days after it was locked up by the state’s market leader, Folashade Tinubu-Ojo.

It was learnt that the market was opened, after each trader paid between N500 and N1, 000 as fine, while those who did not pay the money as of Saturday, were fined N5,000.

Market sources said while Tinubu-Ojo demanded N5m from the traders before the market was opened, those she sent to open it made an extra demand of N200,000, but the traders bargained and paid N50,000.

It was also told that part of the condition given by Tinubu-Ojo, who is the daughter of a former Lagos State Governor and leader of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu, was that all the marketers must tender their membership card of the APC. 

When PUNCH correspondent visited Iponri Market on Tuesday, he observed that life was gradually returning to it. It was learnt that the market committee had been dissolved, while the market leaders had been asked to “step aside.”

A source, who pleaded anonymity said, “Part of the decisions of the meeting we had with the Iyaloja-General (Tinubu-Ojo) on Thursday was that the market leaders should step aside for some time, while the market committee should be dissolved.

“Those of us operating big shops were asked to pay N1,000 as fine, while those with small shops were told to pay N500. Those who did not pay when others contributed the money have been asked to pay N5,000.

“The women that the Iyaloja-General asked to open the gate for us asked for N200, 000 extra, but people begged them, and they eventually collected N50,000.”

The source said when the committee members were going to see the Iyaloja in her office, they were mandated to come with APC membership cards or they would not be attended to.

Another trader, who identified himself as Kaka Ibrahim, a painter in the market, told the correspondent that the traders also owed the council three years rent, and the traders were told to pay their debt in two weeks.

Ibrahim said, “Initially, the Surulere Local Government council was collecting N500 for big shops and N250 for small ones, per month. But in 2012, the money was increased to N1,500 and N500 for big and small stalls respectively. We stopped paying because the money was too high.”

Tinubu-Ojo confirmed the opening of the market. She added that money was collected as fine, which was a norm in the market.

She said, “We have opened the market. I sent some people to open it. Yes, we collected money as fine, which is the norm in the market. But I don’t know what other thing you are talking about.”

Credit: Punch Metro