Following the raid on alleged fake phone dealers at the Ikeja Computer Village in Lagos by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), the Phone and Allied Product Dealers Association of Nigeria (PAPDAN) has threatened to closedown the market for three consecutive days, beginning from today Monday, in protest of the raid.
PAPDAN is the association of mobile phone dealers at the Computer Village market.
Chairman of PAPDAN, Mr. Godfrey Iyke Nwosu, who issued circular to all its members to boycott business at the ever busy market beginning from today, to protest the sudden raid on its members by SON on Saturday, told THISDAY that the decision to closedown the market for three days became necessary following the continued harassments by SON and heavily armed policemen on the traders.
“I have been at the police station since morning on the matter and this time around, we have to get to the root of the matter, because the incessant harassment is becoming unbearable, affecting legitimate business at the market,” Nwosu said.
According to him, all phone dealers in the market would embark on a three-day peaceful protest with all shops locked during the period. The protest will commence on Monday through Wednesday before shops will be reopened in the Computer Village market, he further explained in a phone conversation with THISDAY.
But in a swift reaction, the Secretary of Computer and Allied Products Dealers Association of Nigeria (CAPDAN), Mr. John Oboro, dismissed the threat to close down the entire Computer Village market, while insisting that business must go on in spite of the trouble. CAPDAN is the umbrella body of all traders at the Ikeja Computer Village.
