Mixed Reactions As Edo Govt Demolishes Structures Erected Under Electrical Powerlines At Egor Market Following Fire Outbreak

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As a result of last week’s fire outbreak on the 132kv high-tension power lines at the Egor Market in Benin City, Edo State, the state government on Tuesday deployed a demolition team to the market to remove all illegal structures built under it.

While some traders who failed to heed the seven-day ultimatum to vacate the area wept bitterly as they made last-minute efforts to remove their stalls and wares as the bulldozer arrived, some others commended the government for its decision.

The demolition exercise targeted eave extensions, illegal structures, and stalls located directly under the electrical powerlines within the market and its environs.

The traders who spurned the seven-day notice were seen at the scene in a panic mode, complaining that the government did not give them enough time to evacuate their goods and property.

One of the affected traders, Lisa Iredia, confirmed that the traders were given a seven-day notice before the exercise and that most of them complied with the government directive.
Another trader, Mrs. Grace Odion, commended the government for the demolition, saying the exercise was necessary to save lives.

Speaking to newsmen after the exercise, the Managing Director of the Edo State Development and Building Control Agency (ESDBCA), Mr. Darlington Igabali, insisted that the traders were adequately informed before the demolition.

Igabali said, “We are executing the directive for the immediate evacuation of all illegal structures and activities along the powerline right-of-way.”

According to him, the affected traders made the job easier for his team, as many had already removed a substantial part of their structures before the officials arrived.

Explaining that the demolished stalls belonged to traders who refused to comply with earlier directives, the agency’s MD emphasised that no goods were destroyed during the exercise.
Igabali said, “We gave them time to remove all that belonged to them. We made it humanly possible for them to do so before the demolition.”