Traders under the Coalition of Associations in Computer Village Ikeja kept their shops shut on Otigba Street over the weekend. They staged a peaceful show of solidarity and renewed their appeal to the Lagos State Internal Revenue Service to reopen plazas sealed over a tax compliance dispute.
The solidarity action followed a reminder letter that CACOVI sent to the LIRS on 23 July 2026. The letter called for the immediate reopening of the affected plazas and an urgent stakeholders meeting.
The crisis began after LIRS officials sealed plazas during a tax enforcement exercise. The agency alleged that some market leaders failed to fully comply with an agreed tax payment arrangement.
The plazas remained locked since the previous Wednesday. CACOVI described the full week shutdown as the first of its kind in the market’s history over a tax issue.
Timi Famoroti, president of CACOVI, said the tax agency went back on earlier terms reached with sections of the market leadership. He explained that traders had complied with rising tax fees that reached N50,100 for many members.
He alleged that the LIRS later demanded three years of tax arrears. He added that some traders who had already paid also saw their shops sealed when entire plazas and Otigba Street were shut.
Famoroti faulted the LIRS for engaging only some market leaders rather than CACOVI, which represents more than 50 associations. “The information was not passed to the whole market,” he said. He maintained that the coalition supports the state’s revenue drive but wants dialogue restored.
Chinedu Mbakwe, vice president of the coalition, questioned the demand for three years of arrears despite existing annual payment records. He argued that sealing entire plazas unfairly punished compliant traders.
Meanwhile, Andrew Azionu, a trader at Bush Bill Ventures, said the dispute worsened after LIRS officials requested sensitive personal information including Bank Verification Numbers and National Identification Numbers. He noted that many traders hesitated over fears of fraud.
CACOVI stated that the closure disrupted the livelihoods of more than 300,000 people linked to the market. As of the latest reports, the LIRS acknowledged the letter but had not yet scheduled the requested meeting.
