By Adeyinka Adeniran
Oyo state government has commenced the demolition of illegal structures and shanties built against different locations around Ibadan, the capital city.
With the move, the government said it was sending warning signal to perpetrators and oweners, especially, traders to remove such before the government gets there.
The exercise started with demolition of shanties and illegal structures around St. Gabriel’s Secondary Commercial School, at Sabo – Jembewon Area, Ibadan.
The Chairman of the Oyo State Rule of Law Enforcement Authority, (OYRLEA) Hon. Justice Aderonke Aderemi (rtd) led the team to enforce the Executive order.
She said the Executive Order as issued in 2023 by Governor Seyi Makinde, could not be thwarted but must be obeyed with strict adherence, hence the need for this action, saying, “no going back on shanties and illegal structures demolitions across the state.”
Speaking further, Justice Aderemi (rtd.) maintained that safety and sanity concerns for students of the St. Gabriel’s Secondary Commercial School could not be overlooked any longer as the shanties latch on the fence of the school, serving as a place of abode, hideouts for criminals, shops for the occupants that harbour dangerous substances and an environment that foster the perpetration of vices.
She said adequate notifications were given to the occupants before resulting into the demolition exercise.
An ‘on the spot’ inspection and assessment had earlier been carried out on March 14th, 2025 which resulted in an appeal from the Seriki nSabo Community Heads, requeating for a grace period till April 10th, 2025.
It was gathered that the exercise was executed with patience to ensure safety of lives as residents joined hands to salvage what they could of their goods.
Security personnel of the Operation Burst, the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Army, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and Amotekun Corps were on the ground to maintain law and order against the protesting dwellers of the shanties.
Although the leadership of the shanty community admitted that adequate notices were given to them, they however lamented that their means of livelihood is gone.
The representative of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Mr. Omololu Babatola, of the Land Matters Unit, department of Planning, Research and Statistics, said the situation at Sabo – Jembewon had been a challenge to education in the area,
The government however reassures the citizens that necessary monitoring exercises would be periodically carried out in the area and to prevent the return of shanties around the schools.
