For the first time ever, the gates of Computer Village stayed shut for a full week.
Instead of the usual rush of customers and sales on Otigba Street, Ikeja, shop owners stood outside on Saturday and Sunday talking in small groups. Phones, laptops, and accessories were locked inside. The reason: a disagreement with the Lagos State Internal Revenue Service, LIRS, that has now affected hundreds of thousands of people.
How it started
According to The Guardian, the crisis began last Wednesday when LIRS officials sealed several plazas. The agency said some market leaders failed to honour a tax payment agreement.
But the Coalition of Associations in Computer Village, Ikeja CACOVI which represents more than 50 associations and plaza heads, disagrees.
CACOVI President, Timi Famoroti, said traders have been paying rising taxes for years, with many now paying ₦50,100. He alleged that despite an earlier agreement, LIRS later demanded three years of unpaid taxes. Because of that, entire plazas were locked, and even traders who had paid were shut out when Otigba Street was closed.
Famoroti also faulted LIRS for dealing with only a few leaders instead of CACOVI. “The information was not passed to the whole market,” he said.
Why traders are angry
CACOVI Vice President, Chinedu Mbakwe, said demanding three years of arrears is unfair when traders already keep yearly payment records. He argued that sealing entire plazas punishes honest business owners alongside alleged defaulters.
Trader Andrew Azionu of Bush Bill Ventures added that LIRS officials requested sensitive details during a new tax review BVN, NIN, and information about traders’ children. Many refused over fears of fraud and unauthorised access to bank accounts. Azionu also questioned why Computer Village faces stricter enforcement than other Lagos markets.
In a memo to plaza heads, Famoroti called for a total shutdown in solidarity, accusing LIRS of breaking the earlier agreement.
In a July 23 letter to LIRS, CACOVI said the closure has disrupted the livelihood of over 300,000 people who depend on the market. The coalition asked for all sealed plazas to be reopened immediately and for a stakeholders’ meeting scheduled for July 22 to be rescheduled.
CACOVI said it supports the state’s revenue drive, but wants dialogue restored first.
As of Sunday night, LIRS had acknowledged receipt of CACOVI’s letter but had not fixed a meeting. Requests for the agency’s official position had also not been answered.
For now, shops remain closed. For traders, technicians, delivery riders, and customers who rely on Computer Village daily, business has come to a painful halt.