A human rights organisation, the Centre for Human and Socio-Economic Rights (CHSR), has condemned what it described as a gross miscarriage of justice following the release of three policemen and a suspected land grabber allegedly linked to the killing of seven traders at the Owode-Onirin Motor Spare Parts Market in Lagos.
In a strongly worded statement signed by its President, Alex Omotehinse, the group criticised the Nigeria Police Force for transferring the indicted officers to Abuja rather than prosecuting them in Lagos, where the tragic incident occurred.
“The Nigeria Police Force has once again opted for cover-up and selective justice,” Omotehinse said. “Relocating the case to Abuja is nothing but a calculated attempt to frustrate justice and deny the victims’ families their rights.”
The CHSR accused the police of shielding the suspects from accountability, describing the decision as a “theatre of impunity” and a betrayal of public trust. The group further faulted the granting of bail to alleged land grabber Abiodun Ariori, who traders claim orchestrated the violent invasion that led to the killings and the destruction of over 50 vehicles.
According to Omotehinse, the police’s claim of self-defence was “a shameless distortion of facts,” arguing that the slain traders were unarmed and merely trying to protect their shops from attackers.
The group also expressed outrage over reports that bereaved families were being asked to pay for post-mortem examinations before they could retrieve the bodies of their loved ones.
“Exploiting grief for financial gain is barbaric, inhuman and unacceptable,” CHSR stated. “It reinforces the notion that justice in Lagos is reserved for the wealthy and politically connected.”
The rights organisation called for the immediate re-arrest and prosecution of the three policemen and Ariori before Lagos courts. It also urged the Federal Government to set up an independent panel of inquiry to uncover the truth behind the killings.
CHSR demanded that civil rights groups and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) be involved in monitoring the case to forestall what it called “judicial compromise and institutional collusion.”
“The blood of the Owode-Onirin victims cries for justice,” Omotehinse said. “Lagos cannot brand itself as a centre of excellence while tolerating police brutality, land grabbing, and systemic injustice. Justice delayed is justice denied — and justice denied is democracy betrayed.”
It would be recalled that on August 30, 2025, armed men, reportedly aided by some police officers, invaded the Owode-Onirin Motor Spare Parts Market, leaving seven traders dead and several others injured.
Among the deceased were Wale Adebayo, Akinboye Oluwaseyi, Taiye Adeoye, Mufutau Salaudeen, and Idowu Abraham.
Although the police initially confirmed only three deaths, eyewitnesses and hospital records contradicted the official account, listing seven fatalities.
Fresh outrage erupted last weekend following reports that the implicated officers had been released and Ariori granted bail on medical grounds — a development that has since reignited public calls for accountability and justice.
