“All My Goods Were Poured on the Ground” — Market Woman Cries Out After Harassment Over Illegal Levy at Kola Market Annex

By Elizabeth Olagoke Abai

A market woman, Mrs. Abosede Modupe Olaniyi, has narrated how she was harassed and her goods destroyed by a man identified as Awilo, who allegedly collects illegal levies from traders operating in the Kola-Alakuko Annex area of Lagos.

Speaking with a PurpleWorld correspondent on October 15, 2025, Mrs. Olaniyi said she was attacked early in the morning while setting up her shop.

According to her, the man poured her goods on the ground, assaulted her, and still forced her to pay an illegal fee.

“He poured my goods away, harassed me, and still collected money from me,” she lamented.

Mrs. Olaniyi, who recently moved her stall to a new spot within the same annex to improve her sales, explained that traders in the annex area are often forced to pay money to Awilo and his group before they can operate. She said the illegal fee ranges from ₦5,000 and above, depending on the type of stall.

“I didn’t say I wouldn’t pay, but I just changed location. It was early in the morning, and I hadn’t even made any sales. I tried to explain, but he refused to listen,” she said, visibly distressed while picking up her scattered goods.

She further explained that traders in the main Kola Market already pay daily levies to the market leaders, but those in the annex do not receive any benefit or protection from the market authorities.

According to her, the annex area is not under the jurisdiction of the main market executives, and issues like development or security are not handled by them.

“Since we don’t enjoy any benefits from the main market, they shouldn’t be collecting money from us,” she added.

Efforts to reach Awilo for his response were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report. The local authorities responsible for the annex area could also not be identified or reached for comment.