Traders, shop owner quarrel over N100m refund

Traders who paid for shops at a demolished shopping complex owned by Chief Osamede Adun, the Aiyobahan of Benin Kingdom, Tuesday complained over the nonrefund of their money.

They are demanding refund of over N100 million they paid as rent before the building was demolished by the Edo State Government.

The traders who protested to the Palace of the Oba of Benin, said they would have no option but to drag Chief Adun to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) if he failed to refund their money.

Some of the traders who spoke to journalists said they paid as much as N800,000 for two shops at the complex before it was pulled down.

The traders who displayed their receipts as evidence of payment alleged that several attempts made by them to get Chief Adun to refund their money since he could not provide shops for them had yielded no result.

Responding, Chief Adun said he was waiting for the Edo State Government to pay him compensation so that he would refund their money.

The State Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Paul Ohonbamu, said he was not aware of any compensation owed Chief Adun, and a government official who pleaded anonymity, said the state government acquired the property for public interest.

“Government pulled the place down for being an illegal structure. An advertisement was placed inviting anybody that had interest in the place to come forward,” he said, “Somebody has written to us stating that he owned the land and that he was in court with Chief Adun over ownership of the land. Chief Adun should not be talking about compensation when he is yet to prove ownership of the place.”