Thousands of residents of Ibadan, in Oyo State, caused a heavy gridlock at the popular Iwo Road interchange of Ibadan on Monday as they blocked roads, protesting the alleged plans by the state government to acquire more lands for the Ibadan circular road corridor.

The Ibadan circular road was an idea conceived when the current Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rasidi Adewolu Ladoja, was the governor of the state. The dream was aborted owing to the illegal impeachment of Ladoja that robbed him of the second term opportunity in 2006.

In the roadmap planned by Ladoja, 150 metres was marked 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 instead of extending it to claim residents’ lands.

Just as some of the protesters blocked Iwo Road and caused a very thick traffic jam, another group of protesters were also at the entrance of the Agodi government secretariat, carrying placards of various inscriptions.

While addressing the gathering at Iwo Road, some of the protesters said their protest was not political and that no politician was teleguiding or sponsoring them against Governor Makinde.

“We are not politicians. This peaceful mega rally is not politically driven. We are protesting against the extension of the corridor for the circular road.

“We are appealing to the state government through the governor to leave the corridor alone. They should not extend it beyond the 150 meters already mapped out”, they said.