The Lagos State Police Command has vowed to arrest some of the traders behind a protest at the Lagos Trade Fair Complex over the alleged involvement of Chinese businesses in retail trading.
The protest, which took place at the Trade Fair Complex, saw some Nigerian traders chanting “Chinese must go” and calling for Chinese merchants involved in retail sales to leave the market.
The protesters, however, said their concerns were about competition with Nigerian traders and not attacks on Chinese nationals or their businesses.
One of the traders said Nigerian importers were struggling to compete with some Chinese businesses operating within the market.
“We no longer make sales. If you import goods, they slash their prices lower than our own and sell to our customers,” he said.
The trader alleged that some Chinese businesses had rented shops and established warehouses within the complex, where they allegedly sold goods directly to consumers instead of operating only as wholesalers.
He also alleged that some businesses obtained customers’ telephone numbers from waybills and subsequently contacted them to sell their products directly.
According to the traders, the concern was the alleged involvement of Chinese businesses in retail trading and the effect this was having on Nigerian retailers.
“If any of us spoils anything here, the person will pay for it. We are not saying we are going to beat the Chinese or spoil their warehouse,” the trader said.
He added that Nigerian traders had maintained cordial relationships with Chinese business owners but wanted the alleged retail activities addressed.
The protest attracted the attention of security agencies and prompted a briefing involving the Amuwo-Odofin Local Government, market officials, the police, other security agencies and representatives of the Chinese community.
Speaking during the briefing at the Auto Spare Parts and Machinery Dealers Association (ASPMDA) market, Area ‘E’ Commander of the Lagos State Police Command, ACP Chike Oti, who represented the state Commissioner of Police, Tijani Fatai, described those behind the protest as “miscreants” and “disgruntled fellows.”
He said the situation was peaceful and that arrests would be made.
“I want to assure all Nigerians and foreign investors that there is peace, security and tranquillity within the complex,” Oti said.
“This is just the handiwork of a few miscreants, few disgruntled fellows in the market, a handful of them that went the other way. They have been cautioned and arrests will be made as soon as possible.”
The police commander also said there had been no fight at the market and that the situation had been brought under control.
The protest came after videos circulated on social media showing traders gathered at the Trade Fair Complex chanting against the presence of Chinese merchants and calling for them to leave.
The leadership of ASPMDA also played down the incident.
ASPMDA President, Nnamdi Ngozi Emechebe, described the protest as a minor incident that was quickly brought under control.
“What happened here yesterday is a minor protest, which was brought under control immediately. But, you know, the news has gone very viral,” Emechebe said.
He said the market leadership had subsequently held a meeting to address the issues surrounding the incident and urged Nigerians and others doing business at the market not to be alarmed.
The Chairman of Amuwo-Odofin Local Government, Prince Lanre Sanusi, was also present at the briefing alongside representatives of the police, Department of State Services, Nigeria Immigration Service, market officials and the Chinese community.
Sanusi said there was no ongoing conflict between Nigerian and Chinese traders at the market.
“We are just here to let the community, Lagosians and Nigerians and everybody around the world know that here in Amuwo-Odofin, Trade Fair Market, ASPMDA, we don’t have any problem between the traders, Chinese and the Nigerians here. Everything is fine,” he said.
The chairman said the relevant officials had been briefed on the situation and commended the security agencies and market leadership for their intervention.
Meanwhile, the president of the Chinese Community in ASPMDA said Chinese traders continued to operate peacefully at the market despite the incident.
“Every day we are open and do business very peacefully and the customer like all the products here,” she said.
She described ASPMDA as a peaceful market and encouraged customers from across Nigeria to continue doing business there.
Speaking in Mandarin, she also described Nigeria as a large market with opportunities for people interested in doing business.
The protest has brought renewed attention to complaints from some Nigerian traders over the activities of Chinese businesses within the Trade Fair Complex, particularly allegations that some are selling directly to consumers.
The traders have argued that direct retail sales by businesses that import goods from China put local retailers at a disadvantage because of differences in sourcing and pricing.
The claims by the traders about specific businesses and their activities have not been independently established by FestacOnline.
For now, market officials and security agencies say the situation at the complex is calm, while the police have warned that those identified as being responsible for the protest could face arrest.