Police fire tear gas as Tejuosho market traders protest blackout

Drama unfolded at the popular Tejuosho market in Yaba, Lagos, on Thursday as traders took to the streets over weeks of power outage that has crippled business. Police moved in to scatter the protest, firing teargas canisters — and in the heat of the chaos, an officer was even spotted shooting live rounds as traders fought back with stones and other objects.

The traders’ anger wasn’t just about darkness; they accused the market management of extortion. According to them, they’ve been paying monthly service charges and electricity bills, yet the lights remain off. For small business owners in Nigeria, where fuel costs are already biting, lack of electricity is a direct threat to survival.

The Tejuosho incident mirrors the wider Nigerian struggle: paying heavily for services that barely work. Shouldn’t market managers be held accountable when livelihoods are at stake?

Would you say the traders were right to protest, or did they take it too far?