By Modupe Bankole
Amid rising concerns over displacement and alleged political interference, residents of Ibadan on Monday staged a peaceful protest at the Oyo State Secretariat, demanding that the state government suspend the proposed expansion of the Ibadan Circular Road corridor beyond the approved 150 metres.
The protesters, comprising property owners from six local government areas , Akinyele, Oluyole, Egbeda, Lagelu, Ona-Ara, and Ido — expressed fears that the fresh expansion plan could lead to large-scale demolition of homes and farmlands. They carried placards with inscriptions such as “We are begging Governor Makinde” and “No to demolition beyond 150 metres.”
Speaking on behalf of the group, the Coordinator of the Ibadan Circular Road Communities Representatives, Mr. Niyi Fasoye, urged Governor Seyi Makinde to uphold his 2024 assurance that no houses would be demolished for the road project.
In her remarks, a landlady and one of the protesters, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Fijabi, described the Circular Road initiative as a welcome development but pleaded with the government to restrict the project within its original design.
The protesters also dismissed reports that the Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, had provided financial assistance to affected residents. They alleged that any such support was directed only at his political associates, not the wider community.
The Ibadan Circular Road project, conceived to ease traffic congestion and open up new development corridors around the Oyo State capital, has continued to spark controversy over issues of compensation, land acquisition, and the socioeconomic impact on host communities.
