Thousands of residents of Ibadan, Oyo State, have protested against alleged plans by the state government to acquire more land for the Ibadan circular road corridor.

The residents blocked some major roads in the ancient city.

The idea of Ibadan circular road was conceived when the current Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rasidi Adewolu Ladoja, was the governor of the state.

It was learnt that Ladoja marked 150 metres for the construction of the road; however, the current governor, Seyi Makinde, is planning to extend the number of metres for the circular road corridor, which will affect more houses and community lands.

The protesting residents, who are from Ido, Lagelu, Ona Ara, Akinyele, Oluyole and Egbeda, want the state government to maintain the 150 metres already marked by Ladoja.

The group of protesters blocked access in and out of the Iwo area, which is one of the major roads in Ibadan, leading to a serious traffic jam in that area.

The protesters were also at the entrance of Agodi government secretariat with different kinds of placards.

In other news, residents of the Ijoka community, in the Akure South Local Council Area of Ondo State, shut down socio-economic activities on Monday while protesting against the abandoned and deplorable state of the major road linking the community to other parts of the Akure metropolis.

With the infuriated residents mounting barricades on the road with logs of wood and piles of stones as early as 7:00 am, the protesters forced hundreds of commuters to abandon their vehicles and trek long distances to their destinations.

With the gridlock stretching into adjoining major routes such as Oda Road and Oluwatuyi, the angry residents accused the state government of abandoning the dualisation of the Ijoka road project, which was inaugurated about seven years ago during the administration of the late Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu.

The residents claimed that all work on the road ceased following the governor’s passing in December 2023, and the road, which they described as one of the state capital’s busiest and most strategic routes, has since deteriorated further.

Armed with placards bearing inscriptions such as “Fix Ijoka Road, Save Our Lives”, “No More Promises, We Need Action”, and “We Deserve Good Roads Too”, they completed Akeredolu’s projects, saying, “We’ve Been Forgotten Since Akeredolu Died”, as the residents chanted solidarity songs and demanded immediate government intervention.

Commercial drivers and motorcyclist riders, popularly known as Okada riders, also joined the protest, honking their horns and calling for the mobilisation of contractors to the site.

Lamenting over the situation, one of the protest leaders, Dele Akinola, disclosed that the action became inevitable after years of neglect and broken promises by successive administrations.

He said, “It’s painful; this road was a top priority for the late governor. He came here himself and promised it would be completed. After his passing, it’s as if the government forgot we exist. The partial work that has already begun to deteriorate is due to erosion and a lack of maintenance.

“Every rainy season, this road becomes a river. Cars break down daily, tricycles tip over, and people get injured. We have written petitions, made appeals, and even met with government officials, but no tangible action has been taken. This protest is not political; we only want a motorable road. That’s all we’re asking for.”