Affected residents of the Ibadan Circular Road corridor project, on Monday, shut down the interstate Lagos-Ibadan expressway, causing gridlock for many commuters.

At the scene, Peoples Gazette observed a long queue of motorists and travellers stranded, hindered by protesters who held banners with inscriptions such as “Alayo community insists on compensation before demolition; Say no to 500 metres on the right and 500 metres on the left; Gov Seyi Makinde, please save our 1,500 families,” among others.

The protesters explained that the demonstration, currently in its sixth day, was undertaken to express displeasure at the state government’s decision and insistence on expanding the Ibadan Circular Road corridor project.

Stating their demand, the property owners called on Governor Seyi Makinde to rescind the plan to implement a 500-metre road corridor expansion.

The protesters urged the government to maintain the initial 150-metre projected plan, as previously envisioned by the former Oyo State governor, Rasheed Ladoja.

The affected residents, comprising six local government areas, described the government’s insistence, despite repeated efforts to discourage the policy, as “an abuse of power.”

“We are not against the circular road. It is almost complete. The issue is that after completing the project, they are insisting on expanding the road on both sides by 500 metres. That is what is giving us pain and concern. They want to take the land from us and sell it to other people,” a resident, who spoke anonymously for safety reasons, said.
“Yet it was we, the common people, who supported him to become governor. Are we, the poor, now the ones deserving to live in pieces? It is unfair that, despite global housing policy, our government is insisting on demolishing houses we built through our sweat. It is unfair,” he noted.

The property owners described the plan to expand the corridor road project as inhumane and inimical, as many residents of the affected homes and properties have no suitable alternative housing and are not beneficiaries of adequate compensation.

Commenting, another affected resident and one of the organisers, Ahmed Lawal, assured that the public demonstration will continue as the current situation leaves no other choice for hundreds of residents across the affected local government communities.

Mr Lawal said, “Our demand is that the government should stop at 75 metres, which is the initial plan. The protest is going on peacefully and there has been no violence so far. Policemen were addressed, and we responded through our representatives.”
“Even birds would need some time to get over the loss of their nests and find a new home. How much more a human being with a spouse and kids? The government should relocate us and give us compensation.”

“After today, we will come again tomorrow. After this awareness protest ends tomorrow, we will give them two weeks, after which we will shut down Ibadan indefinitely should the government continue to neglect our demands,” he said.

Urging the government to listen to their plight, the residents promised to continue the protest on Tuesday, after which a break will be considered before resuming for more comprehensive action.

A landlord, Akeem Akinatutu, stressed that the protesters are not against the circular road project initiative but against the injustice and illegality associated with the 500-metre expansion.

Mr Akinatutu stated, “We don’t have any problem with the circular road. The problem we are agitating against is that the government should not extend beyond the initial 75 metres to the left and right of the circular road, which had been earlier gazetted. We are not opposed to development, but to the illegal acquisition of lands.”

“The government should compensate adequately. We heard that a person who built a three-bedroom flat was given 465,000 naira. It is unfair in this harsh economic period when a single brick is sold at 1,000 naira each. Those whose houses have not been demolished should not experience it, and if at all, adequate compensation must be provided. The government’s decision will determine the security landscape of the affected areas,” he added.

Describing it as false, the protesters unanimously dismissed claims that the protest, which has since been held in strategic places like Iwo Road, Gate, Mokola, Ajia Road, among others, since its commencement, was sponsored by political elements.

The Gazette gathered that affected residents, decrying the state government’s demolition plans, reside in Ido, Lagelu, Ona Ara, Akinyele, Oluyole, and Egbeda local government areas.
Earlier, the Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde, stated that the circular road should not be seen as a mere road project but an economic backbone to the state’s reputation.
He stated this during the commissioning of Ibadan’s Iwo Road Bus Terminal, noting that the road expansion would “create space for industries, estates and logistics hubs to support growth over the next 20 years.”
“Cities that fail to plan for tomorrow are soon swallowed by the chaos of today. This corridor is not for me, but for the generation that will come after us,” Mr Makinde said.
“It is a high-movement corridor, as commuters heading to Abeokuta would navigate the distance within 16 minutes, as they wouldn’t need to go through Iwo Road. So, this corridor is not for me or any individual. It is for the generation that will come after us,” he added.
Meanwhile, the governor stated that the anti-demolition protesters were being sponsored by certain people and would engage the affected residents in their community.
He noted, “And let me say that I will not talk to you at the Secretariat or anywhere else, but I’m coming to that Circular Road corridor to engage with the real people that are there. As you already know, this project is a continuum, not the work of one administration, but part of the 20-year development journey of Oyo State. And our job is to keep that vision alive responsively and sustainably.”