On May 3, 2026, an incident occured at Balogun Business Association, BBA Market at the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex.
There was a report of violent confrontation, leading to the death of one person while three others were injured.
This incident is generating reactions among the traders.
CASEFILE got information from an eyewitness, his account is chilling.
According to the account, the dispute may have occurred from an alleged attempt to take possession of a section of land reportedly belonging to Mega Rickon Resources Limited.
Sources accused the embattled prominent member of the BBA of deploying some of his staff, including security personnel and supporters, to the disputed area.
Following the violence, the management of the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex reportedly sealed off the affected section to prevent further escalation and restore order within the market.
Speaking on the incident, Chairman of the Trade Fair Security Task Force, Alhaji Ismaila Bakare, alleged that said officer had informed him that he directed some individuals to occupy portions of land belonging to Mega Rickon Resources Limited as well as nearby green areas for the construction of commercial structures.
He disclosed that he had already made a formal statement to the police and further alleged that he can identify a man who was allegedly responsible for the shooting that left one task force official dead and three others injured.
According to Bakare, members of the Trade Fair Security Task Force were carrying out a stop-work directive issued by the Trade Fair management against what was described as unauthorised construction activities when they encountered resistance.
He alleged that the construction project was being carried out on a Sunday in violation of regulations governing activities within the complex.
He further claimed that the workers involved were accompanied by individuals linked to the BBA leadership, including security officials and other market stakeholders.
Narrating the events of that day, Bakare said the task force initially moved to the site after receiving instructions from the Executive Director of the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex, Chief Mrs. Veronica Ndanusa, to verify reports of ongoing construction on land reportedly allocated to Mega Rickon Resources Limited.
Upon arrival, the task force allegedly discovered workers fabricating and erecting attachment shops.
Bakare stated that officials stopped the work, seized some equipment, including a generator, and ordered those present to leave the area.
However, he claimed that after the task force departed, the workers regrouped, procured additional equipment and returned to continue construction activities, this time moving deeper into the green area surrounding the disputed land.
Bakare further alleged that when task force officials returned to enforce the stop-work directive, they were attacked by armed individuals wielding axes, clubs and machetes.
According to him, as members of the task force attempted to flee, gunshots were fired, leaving three persons injured and one official, identified as Kabiru Japata, fatally wounded.
The task force chairman said surviving members immediately alerted officers at the police division within the Trade Fair Complex and transported the deceased’s body to the station.
He further claimed that the Executive Director subsequently contacted the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, after which the disputed section was sealed.
He expressed concern that the alleged shooter had not been apprehended despite statements made to law enforcement authorities.
Describing the incident as tragic and devastating, Bakare lamented the death of Kabiru Japata, whom he described as the only son of his aged parents, a husband and father of eight children.
He said the victim’s death had thrown his family into grief, adding that the remains had been deposited in a mortuary in Yaba pending autopsy.
The task force chairman appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, civil society groups and human rights organisations to ensure that justice is served and that the case is thoroughly investigated.
Meanwhile, unconfirmed reports suggest that Afam Ezeakire presented himself to operatives of Police Tactical Team One after allegedly evading arrest attempts by vigilantes in Awka-Etiti, Anambra State.
Sources also disclosed that police investigators have invited several stakeholders connected to the dispute, including a director of Mega Rickon Resources Limited, Chief John Nzeako, as part of ongoing efforts to establish the full facts surrounding the incident.
Police authorities are yet to issue a comprehensive public statement on the latest developments as investigations continue.
