Lagos closes fruit markets

24 Jan, 2013

Lagos state officials shut down the fruit and vegetable markets at Mile 12 and Jakande (popularly known as Ketu) on 22 January, over failure to comply with the state's sanitation laws.

The environment commissioner Tunji Bello claimed both markets were closed for "flagrant abuse of the environmental sanitation law and indiscriminate loading and off- loading of goods on the main road, creating traffic bottlenecks for other road users."

Citing the lack of adequate toilet facilities, Bello said the unsanitary conditions in the immediate area around the market were a health hazard.

The closure of both markets, which are situated near each other in north-east Lagos, comes after they were repeatedly threatened with closure in recent times.