Traders, shoppers held hostage in plaza over tax

OCTOBER 10, 2013  

Royal Exchange Plaza, Oshodi.

Scores of people were on Wednesday held hostage for over six hours at the Royal Exchange Plaza, Oshodi, Lagos, when the local government officials sealed off the plaza over unpaid radio and television levy.

The Vice Chairman of the Oshodi-Isolo Local Government, was said to have led an enforcement team of 50 officials at about noon, to lock up the plaza, leaving shoppers and traders alike, stranded in the 76-shop complex.

 The enforcement team was said to comprise council thugs, policemen and a local security group.

When PUNCH Metro visited the complex, many of the stranded traders in the complex, gathered at the gate, making frantic telephone calls to their families, informing them of their plight.

An insurance broker in the plaza, Demola Samson, said, “It was around 11am when I was coming into the compound that I saw a crowd. They came in four vehicles and said they had come to seal off the place because we did not pay the radio and TV rates.

“I was surprised because I have never heard of that since I came here two years ago. I was told its N10, 000 per shop. So I pleaded with the Vice Chairman that he should give us till Friday so we can resolve it, but the thugs wanted to beat me up, and asked who I was to challenge their authority.”

Samson said he had cancelled all his appointments for the day because of the development.

“This is a public place and a lot of people are stranded. The customers, who came here, have been locked in. I cannot go out and a lot of appointments have been cancelled because of this reckless action,” he lamented.

A worker with Royal Exchange, Damola Adebunmi, told PUNCH Metro that not all the shop owners had TV and radio sets, wondering why the council did not lock up only defaulting shops.

A customer, who identified herself simply as Mrs. Abikoye, claimed she came from Ibadan to have an appointment in Lagos. She threatened legal action against the council for being held hostage against her will.

She said, “I came here to pick something and I was on my way to the (Lagos) Island for an appointment. Just then, I saw some policemen; they locked up the gate. I pleaded with them to allow me go out, but all entreaties fell on deaf ears. My husband’s aide-de -camp, a police officer, showed them his ID card and explained that we were visitors, but they refused to listen.

“This is barbaric. How can anyone steal six hours of my life? If someone is at fault, must others pay for that? Is that just?  My child is still in school and I cannot pick him up again. Some people came to Lagos because of this appointment. What do I do now?”

Another visitor to the plaza, a driver, Mr. Abimbola Toriola, said he was in the vicinity to take away some goods.

He said, “All my appointments in Ibadan for five o’clock cannot hold again. I am in big trouble as you see me. I am just confused because I don’t know how to leave here.”

The manager of the plaza, who identified himself as Kazeem, said the plaza had been faithful in paying all bills, except the radio and TV charges.

He believed the matter would be sorted out with the council in a short time, so that the customers and shop owners could do their businesses without any harassment.

When our correspondent contacted the Press Secretary of the Oshodi/Isolo LGA, Mr. Gbenga Fatodu, he said, “It is not just the Royal Exchange Plaza who have defaulted in paying their taxes; other persons in the community too have defaulted despite repeated pleas for them to pay up.

“So today, the vice-chairman went on an enforcement exercise, sealing off premises of all defaulters. The plaza will only be reopened when everyone, who owes the council there, has paid up. This payment is necessary so that development can continue at the local government level.”