Lekan Yusuf, Ibadan
Thousands of residents of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, on Monday took to the streets to protest alleged plans by the Oyo State Government to acquire additional lands for the Ibadan Circular Road corridor.
The protesters, who came from Ido, Lagelu, Ona Ara, Akinyele, Oluyole and Egbeda Local Government Areas, blocked several major roads in the city, causing traffic gridlock in key areas such as Iwo Road and the Agodi Government Secretariat.
The situation at the state secretariat was particularly tensed, as protesters completely blocked all entry and exit points, preventing vehicular movement in and out of the complex. Some Muslim protesters were seen observing their prayers on the main road, while others continued chanting, “No more corridor!”
The demonstrators, carrying placards with various inscriptions, urged the state government to maintain the existing 150-metre boundary for the road project, which they said was established during the administration of former Governor Rashidi Ladoja.
One of the protesters who spoke with journalists at Iwo Road described the demonstration as peaceful and non-political, emphasizing that the action was purely to protect their properties.
“This peaceful mega protest is not political. We are not sponsored by anyone. We are only protecting our properties and appealing to the government, through the governor, to please complete the circular road and leave the corridor as it is,” one of the residents said.
They noted that the land acquisition for the Ibadan Circular Road began as far back as 2005, and that most of them had been residing in the affected areas before the project was initiated.
“The circular road has been acquired since 2005, and many of us have been living here before that time. Some even bought their land after seeing the pillars marking the circular road. So, we have nothing to do with politics. We did not collect money from anybody,” another protester stated.
The protesters also insisted that any attempt to extend the corridor beyond the already designated 150 metres would amount to injustice to property owners.
“No more corridor! Circular is okay. No more corridor!” they chanted.
As of the time of filing this report, traffic remained heavy around Iwo Road and Agodi due to the protest, while security operatives were seen monitoring the situation to prevent any breakdown of law and order.
