Thousands of residents from several local government areas in Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State in southwestern Nigeria, took to the streets on Monday to protest against the alleged plan by Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration to expand the land area originally set aside for the Ibadan Circular Road project.
The protesters accused the state government of attempting to take over more land beyond the initial design, a move they claimed would lead to the demolition of homes, displacement of residents, and destruction of farmlands. Major roads in the city were blocked, causing severe traffic gridlock and halting commercial activities for hours.
The Ibadan Circular Road project was first introduced during the tenure of former Oyo State Governor and current Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja. According to protesters, the original design allocated 150 metres for the road corridor, but the new administration is allegedly planning to expand it.
Residents from areas including Ido, Lagelu, Ona Ara, Akinyele, Oluyole, and Egbeda joined the demonstration, insisting that the 150-metre width should be maintained. Many carried placards with messages rejecting the expansion and warning that they would resist any attempt to “forcefully dispossess communities” of their ancestral lands.
At Iwo Road, one of Ibadan’s busiest intersections, protesters barricaded major routes, preventing vehicles from entering or exiting the area. Another group of demonstrators converged at the gate of the Agodi Government Secretariat, demanding that Governor Makinde halt the proposed expansion immediately.
Several residents expressed fear that the new plan would result in the destruction of their homes and means of livelihood. Despite attempts by some officials to pacify the crowd, the protest continued into the afternoon with no resolution reached at the time of filing this report.