Tension in Ibadan as Residents Block Major Roads Over Planned Land Acquisition for Circular Road Project

|By Chinwendu Nwani

Thousands of angry residents in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, took to the streets on Monday to protest against the state government’s alleged plan to seize more community lands for the expansion of the Ibadan Circular Road corridor.

The protesters, wielding placards with various inscriptions, barricaded major roads including Iwo Road and the entrance of the Agodi Government Secretariat, disrupting traffic and grounding movement across the ancient city.

The circular road project, first conceived during the tenure of former governor and current Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rasidi Adewolu Ladoja, originally covered a 150-metre stretch. However, reports indicate that Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration is seeking to extend the corridor, a move that residents fear will lead to further demolition of homes and displacement of communities.

Motorists and commuters were left stranded for hours as protesters chanted solidarity songs and demanded that the government suspend any plan to acquire additional land for the project.

As of press time, security personnel had been deployed to maintain order, though tension remains high in affected areas.