Traders at the Lagos Trade Fair Complex have protested the alleged expansion of some Chinese-owned businesses into direct retail sales, saying the practice is threatening local traders who depend on reselling imported goods.

The demonstration, which took place within markets at the complex along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, drew a response from the Lagos State Police Command on Tuesday, with security officials assuring traders, customers and foreign investors that the area remained peaceful.

Videos from the protest showed traders carrying placards and calling for Chinese businesses they accused of selling directly to final consumers to stop retail operations.

One of the protesting traders said their concern was not the presence of Chinese businesses in Nigeria itself, but what they described as a movement from wholesale supply into the same retail market occupied by Nigerian traders.

According to the protesters, Chinese businesses enjoy direct access to manufacturers and suppliers in China, allowing them to import products and sell at prices local traders sometimes struggle to match.

They argued that the situation could gradually push Nigerian retailers out of business.

One trader said some Chinese businesses had established warehouses and shops within the complex and were allegedly dealing directly with customers who would ordinarily purchase through local retailers.

The protesters also insisted that the demonstration was intended to remain peaceful and that participants were not calling for attacks on Chinese nationals or destruction of their businesses.

The allegations against the affected businesses have not been independently established, and no regulatory agency had publicly confirmed that the Chinese businesses accused by the protesters were operating outside the terms of their permits as of the time of reporting.

Reacting to the protest, Area E Commander, ACP Chike Oti, said there had been no violent confrontation at the complex.

Oti, who spoke alongside Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Chairman Lanre Sanusi, market officials, security personnel and representatives of the Chinese community, described the situation as peaceful.

He said those responsible for disrupting activities had been cautioned, adding that arrests could follow.

President of the Auto Spare Parts and Machinery Dealers Association, Nnamdi Ngozi Emechebe, also described the incident as a limited protest and said market leaders had met to address the concerns raised.

The police response came after videos of the protest attracted attention online, particularly because some placards carried language demanding that Chinese traders leave the market.

The wider complaint from protesters, however, centred on competition between foreign wholesalers and indigenous retailers rather than a reported physical clash.