The leadership of the Balogun Business Association (BBA) in Lagos State has urged Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to disregard a group of traders falsely presenting themselves as market executives.
In a strongly worded petition, the association’s legitimate leaders accused these individuals of impersonation and misleading the Lagos State Government. The petition was signed by Chief Anthony Obih, Chairman of the Board of Trustees; Chief Jones Okpala, Secretary of the Board of Trustees; Anselm Dunu, Chairman of the Caretaker Committee; and Chief Leonard Ogbonnia, Secretary of the Caretaker Committee.
According to the petition, “We respectfully and humbly write with the utmost sense of responsibility to expose and bring to the attention of the Lagos State Government that the group of individuals led by Chief Paul Oscar Ikechukwu Odogwu (who has been parading himself as the President of Balogun Business Association) that paid a visit to Your Excellency as purported members of BBA Executive are not lawfully members of the executive management and administration of the Association.”
The traders further alleged that these impostors acted in defiance of ongoing judicial proceedings and existing court rulings. They cited several cases at the Federal High Court, including Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/451/2021 and Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/579/2021, which recognize the Caretaker Committee, led by Anselm Dunu, as the legitimate executive body managing the association’s affairs.
“They also defied and showed contempt for the pending and ongoing proceedings of the Federal High Court in Suit No: FHC/L/CS/2665/2023 and Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/459/2024,” the petition stated.
The association further accused Chief Odogwu and his group of deliberately concealing these legal disputes from Governor Sanwo-Olu to gain an audience with the state government.
The BBA leaders called on the Lagos State Government to recognize only the duly constituted leadership of the association, warning against any engagement with unauthorized individuals who may attempt to manipulate the situation for personal gain.
This development highlights the ongoing leadership tussle within one of Lagos’s largest business hubs, underscoring the importance of legal recognition and due process in market administration.
