Trade Fair Demolition: “I Lost Everything Before My Foreign Partners” — Magnus Ike

The once-thriving Trade Fair Complex along the Lagos–Badagry Expressway now resembles a war zone after bulldozers brought down no fewer than 19 buildings on Thursday, September 25, 2025.

The Lagos State Government defended the demolition, insisting that the affected structures were illegal and built on a canal without its approval.

On Balogun Road, one of the busiest stretches of the complex, rubble, broken blocks, twisted iron rods and scattered goods now line the streets. The familiar buzz of generators and traders’ chatter has been replaced with silence, broken only by scavengers combing the debris.

Selective demolition alleged

Traders lamented what they described as the “selective” nature of the exercise. While some rows of shops were demolished, others remained untouched. “Why ours? What did we do wrong?” one trader muttered in disbelief.

A shop owner’s wife burst out in anger: “You can’t wake up from your bed, bring bulldozers to destroy people’s property, and expect them to be happy.” Another woman, clawing through the rubble to salvage a tarpaulin, muttered: “Everything is gone. No shop, nothing.”

Nearby, scavengers hired by some building owners worked tirelessly to extract iron rods, aluminum sheets and other materials for resale.

“I lost everything before foreign partners”

For Mr. Magnus Ike, CEO of Magnum Merchandise Limited, the demolition struck hardest. His six two-storey buildings, covering 5,000 square meters and housing a diagnostic centre, mall, crèche, and offices, were reduced to rubble.

Recounting the moment, he said:

“What happened came as a huge shock. I was in my office with foreign partners when the demolition started. Suddenly, there was noise, breakage, people running, buildings collapsing. Tear gas filled the air. My guests fled in fear. It was chaos.”

He stressed that his buildings were approved by the Trade Fair Management Board (a federal agency), not Lagos State.

“They never asked for documents, never notified us. If Lagos State Government felt there was an issue, they should have written to us. Instead, they destroyed everything.”

Ike dismissed claims that his property sat on a canal.

“That is false. The Trade Fair Management Board inspects construction strictly. Anyone can see the building was not on a canal.”

He described his loss as beyond financial:

“I lost more than millions. What hurts more is the betrayal. Government talks about foreign investment and job creation, yet they destroy businesses without due process. It feels like survival of the strongest, not the rule of law.”

“Reward for peace”

Chief Eric Chukwuilechukwu, President of the Association of Progressive Traders (APT) and Chairman of Stakeholders, Trade Fair Complex, also condemned the exercise.

“We chose peace because we are law-abiding. If we had reacted, things could have turned ugly. I reminded Lagos officials that this is federal land. How many years has this complex been here? To now say it belongs to Lagos State is strange.”

He recalled previous clashes, including when LAWMA officials locked the complex gates for a week two years ago, and stressed that due process must not be ignored.

Chief Eric confirmed that 19 buildings were affected but noted the figure could rise as traders compile their losses.

Affected traders are now awaiting a scheduled meeting with the Lagos State Government, hoping discussions will address possible compensation for owners of the demolished properties.