Alleges threat to life
Human Rights Activist, Comrade Ola Agboola Jnr., Takes Market Leadership to Court Over Prolonged Suspension, Threatened Eviction From Shops Occupied Since 2009
A human rights activist and Coordinator of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), Jankara Unit, Comrade Ola Agboola Jnr., has instituted legal proceedings against the Babaloja General of Ojokoro, Mr Akin Fagbola, and the Jankara Motors and Spare Parts Market, Ijaiye-Ojokoro, Lagos State, over what he describes as an unlawful suspension, intimidation and threatened eviction from his business premises.
The legal action, instituted at the Magistrate Court, Ogba, Ikeja, Lagos, challenges the circumstances surrounding his prolonged suspension from the market and a subsequent quit notice directing him to vacate two shops he has occupied since 2009.
The matter, with suit number MCIK/625/CIV/2026, Comrade Ola Agboola Jnr. vs. Mr. Akin Fagbola & Jankara Motors and Spare Parts Market & Ords. is scheduled to come up on Tuesday, November 17, 2026.
Agboola is challenging a suspension notice reportedly issued against him on 15 May 2025, and a subsequent quit notice dated February 23, 2026, directing him to surrender the two shops he has rented from the market association for approximately 17 years.
HOW THE DISPUTE STARTED
Recounting the circumstances that led to the dispute, Agboola alleged that his problems with the market leadership began following disagreements over electricity connections and safety concerns within the market.
According to him, some of the market's founding members had connected electricity from his power supply to their offices using cables he considered substandard.
He reportedly issued a letter of undertaking to the individuals concerned, stating that they would take responsibility in the event of any fire outbreak arising from the electricity connections.
However, rather than resolving the safety concerns, Agboola alleged that the disagreement subsequently became a source of hostility against him.
He was reportedly issued a suspension notice in the 15 May 2025, although the circumstances and subsequent notices have become subjects of the present legal dispute.
ALLEGATIONS OF INTIMIDATION OVER HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISM
In another dimension to the controversy, Agboola alleged that Mr Akin Fagbola accused him of establishing a CDHR unit within the market without obtaining his approval.
He further alleged that the Babaloja General accused him of failing to accord him the customary greetings expected of a market leader and described his presence as a threat to the market environment.
Agboola maintains that his human rights activities and commitment to speaking against perceived injustices within the market should not constitute grounds for victimisation or denial of his livelihood.
The controversy reportedly attracted the intervention of the immediate past Chairman of Ojokoro Local Council Development Area, *Hon. Ahmed Tijani Idowu,* who allegedly summoned the market leadership and directed that Agboola be allowed to return to his business.
However, according to Agboola, despite the intervention, the suspension was never formally lifted by the Babaloja General.
POLICE INTERVENTION AND ALLEGED OSTRACISM
The dispute reportedly escalated following the expiration of Hon. Tijani Idowu's tenure.
Agboola alleged that Mr Fagbola subsequently petitioned him to the Ijaiye Police Divisional Headquarters.
During an interview reportedly conducted on April 8, 2026, between the two parties and the police, Agboola said the Babaloja General was asked to state his grievances against him.
According to Agboola, Fagbola identified his failure to greet him as expected as one of his principal grievances.
He further claimed that the Divisional Police Officer made it clear that failure to greet a market leader did not constitute a criminal offence.
Agboola maintains that the police intervention did not establish any criminal wrongdoing on his part.
He also alleged that, before the police petition was made, on April 1, 2026, the Babaloja General had assembled some market members in an attempt to ostracise him from the market community.
CONTROVERSY OVER ELECTRICITY DEBT
Findings by this publication also indicate that the disagreement may have deeper roots involving an earlier electricity-related controversy.
A market member, who requested anonymity, alleged that the relationship between Agboola and the Babaloja General deteriorated following an incident involving the Ikeja Electric Distribution Company (IKEDC) in 2022.
According to the source, the Babaloja General's office allegedly had an outstanding electricity debt exceeding ₦1 million, which reportedly led to the installation of a prepaid meter after intervention by electricity officials.
The source further alleged that the meter was subsequently removed and sold as scrap after the initial electricity units were exhausted, with a later report allegedly made to the electricity distribution company claiming that the meter had been stolen.
The source suggested that Agboola became associated with the controversy because of his alleged knowledge of the circumstances surrounding the installation of the meter.
However, these allegations have not been independently verified, and the parties concerned should be given an opportunity to respond.
MARKET DEVELOPMENT: TRADERS RAISE QUESTIONS OVER LEADERSHIP
Beyond his personal legal battle, the controversy has brought renewed attention to concerns about the administration and development of Jankara Motors and Spare Parts Market, Ijaiye-Ojokoro.
Another market member, who also requested anonymity, described the market's development as disappointing, despite its existence for nearly five decades.
The source alleged that the market, established around 1978, has failed to achieve meaningful infrastructural and organisational development comparable to other major motor spare parts markets in Lagos State.
According to the trader, attempts by concerned members to draw the leadership's attention to the need for collective development have allegedly been interpreted as acts of rebellion or hostility.
The source further alleged that some market leaders have substantial business interests outside the market and therefore have little incentive to prioritise the collective welfare and development of ordinary traders.
These claims reflect the grievances expressed by some traders and require further investigation to establish the wider position of the market community.
'THE JUDICIARY WILL BE OUR INSTRUMENT OF LIBERATION' — AGBOOLA
Speaking on the legal action, Agboola reaffirmed his confidence in the judiciary and the principles of the rule of law, insisting that nobody should be subjected to arbitrary punishment, intimidation or deprivation of livelihood outside established legal procedures.
He maintained that his decision to seek judicial intervention was not merely about retaining possession of his two shops but also about challenging what he considers an entrenched culture of impunity and authoritarianism within the market.
Agboola further stated that he remains committed to using lawful and democratic means to advocate for the rights, welfare and collective development of traders in Jankara.
He described the situation as an opportunity to challenge what he termed a system of neo-colonial subjugation and oppressive market administration, where traders are allegedly expected to surrender their fundamental dignity to individuals occupying leadership positions.
The human rights activist insisted that market leadership should be based on accountability, transparency, democratic participation and service to traders rather than intimidation and personal authority.
As the matter heads to court on November 17, 2026, attention will be focused on the legal arguments surrounding the suspension, the threatened eviction and the rights of the parties involved.
The unfolding dispute also raises broader questions about the powers of market associations, the protection of traders' livelihoods, accountability in informal commercial institutions and the need to ensure that internal market administration operates within the framework of the Law
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