There’s a growing cloud of fear and uncertainty hanging over Ariaria International Market in Aba especially around the iconic A-Line as whispers of a new phase of demolition and remodeling begin to spread. But for many traders, this isn’t just about shops being torn down. It’s about lives, legacies, and the looming threat of losing it all… again.
For those who lived through the first phase of the remodeling, this moment is painfully familiar. That earlier exercise, hailed by officials as modernization, left countless traders displaced, disillusioned, and in some heartbreaking cases, grieving actual loss of life. Shops were bulldozed. Livelihoods wiped out. Promises broken.
At the heart of the new tension is the developer behind the project a figure whose role has stirred outrage in the market. According to the story posted on Enyimba FM Facebook page, the developer has been accused of selling newly constructed shops to the highest bidders, pushing aside original occupants without granting them the courtesy of a "Right of First Refusal." For many, this has felt like being priced out of a home they built with their sweat.
Now, allegations are flying that the same developer is behind a new push to demolish the other side of A-Line, using a proxy contractor to quietly begin work even though the first side remains unfinished. Over 15 zones have reportedly been marked for demolition, threatening to uproot more than 12,000 traders and indirectly affect over 50,000 people, when dependents are considered.
What’s more disturbing is the claim that this move has backing from "the top." Though no official confirmation has been made, the swift movement of materials and placement of beams inside the market has traders fearing the worst: that the project is being quietly greenlit by government authorities without public disclosure.
But the real heartbreak? There has been no dialogue. No town hall meetings. No consultations. No clear plan for resettlement. No word on cost structures, timelines, or compensation. Traders say they're being treated like obstacles not stakeholders.
“The way this thing is going, it’s like they want us to vanish, clutching onto what’s left of his merchandise. They haven’t finished what they started, yet they’re coming again. Are we not humans too?” said one trader
Traders are calling for sanity and transparency. They’re demanding that if this project must continue, it should be done in phases, with multiple contractors to speed up the process, and most importantly with their full involvement.
Because at Ariaria, what’s at stake isn’t just land. It’s survival.
redjk3