The Lagos State government has closed Idera Market in the Oshodi-Isolo Local Council Development Area due to its unsanitary conditions.
The Corps Marshal of the Lagos Environmental Sanitation Corps, Major Olaniyi Olatunbosun (rtd), also known as KAI, explained the reason for the closure. “We shut Idera market because it stinks. They had probably not cleared the drainages for over one year and everywhere was smelly,” he said.
The decision to close the market was made following a directive from the state commissioner. Major Olatunbosun added, “When they are ready to do the proper thing, the market will be reopened. It might take days or weeks, but it has to be clean.”
While market traders blamed ineffective Private Sector Participation (PSP) operators for not clearing the waste, the KAI Corps Marshal stated, “We found out that they most likely don’t even patronize the PSP operators. Besides, Idera is not the only market in the Oshodi area, so let them do the right thing by cleaning their space and the market will be reopened.”
The market will remain closed until the sanitation issues are fully addressed.
