Key Points

• Traders demand justice over Owode-Onirin killings.

• Protesters accuse police and land grabbers of collusion.

• Rights group calls for stronger laws against land grabbing.

Anger boiled over at the Owode-Onirin Motor Spare Parts Market in Lagos as traders protested the killing of seven people on August 27, 2025.

The traders said the attack shook their community and left many fearing for their lives.

Members of the Centre for Human and Socio-Economic Rights (CHSR) joined the protest. They marched through the market, chanting and carrying placards.

Many accused police officers and a notorious land grabber of plotting the bloodshed.

The traders’ message was clear: they want justice, accountability, and an end to land grabbing backed by corrupt officers.

Traders push for probe into Owode-Onirin killings

The protesters urged the Lagos State House of Assembly to set up an independent panel to probe the killings, which they described as “a massacre in broad daylight.”

They also called on the Inspector General of Police to re-arrest the officers and the land grabber linked to the attack.

The traders said the suspects must face trial in Lagos, where the crime happened.

The victims were identified as Seyi Akinboye (39), Adeoye Taiwo (29), Dare Mufutau (32), Aderemi Hakeem (27), Abraham Temilola (33), and Wale Adebayo (29).

The traders asked that Attorney General Lawal Pedro (SAN) be summoned for allegedly “misrepresenting facts” about the incident. They also demanded compensation for the victims’ families and survivors.

Their placards read: “Legislate against land grabbing and police complicity.”

Rights group slams police, calls attack a national shame

CHSR President Alex Omotehinse recounted how the tragedy happened. He said that even with pending court actions and petitions, four police officers allegedly hired by the land grabber invaded the market and opened fire on unarmed traders.

“By the end of that black Wednesday,” Omotehinse said, “six traders lay dead, several were injured, and about 50 vehicles were destroyed.”

He accused the police of shielding the suspects. According to him, instead of facing trial in Lagos, the officers were secretly moved to Abuja, cleared in a questionable “orderly room trial,” and released.

“The police conduct is disgraceful,” he said. “The Owode-Onirin killings are a national shame. The Lagos Assembly failed to act despite our earlier petitions.”

The silence of power is deafening

What happened at Owode-Onirin shows how deep Nigeria’s governance problems run. When those meant to protect citizens turn against them, justice loses its meaning.

Allowing accused officers to walk free sends a dark message — that power can silence truth. The Lagos Assembly and police leadership must act now. Justice must not depend on influence or connections.

The Owode-Onirin killings are a test of conscience for those in power. The victims’ families deserve answers, not excuses.

For now, their cries echo across Lagos: justice delayed is justice denied.