The Oyo State Government has begun demolishing illegal structures and shanties in various parts of Ibadan, the state capital, as part of efforts to enforce urban planning regulations and ensure public safety.
The operation kicked off at St. Gabriel’s Secondary Commercial School in the Sabo-Jembewon area, with security support provided by Operation Burst, the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Army, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, and the Amotekun Corps. These forces were deployed to maintain order amidst resistance from some occupants of the shanties.
The demolition was led by the Chairperson of the Rule of Law Enforcement Authority, retired Justice Aderonke Aderemi, who emphasized that there would be no reversal of the government’s stance on removing illegal structures. She cited the 2023 Executive Order issued by Governor Seyi Makinde as the legal basis for the action, stressing that it must be strictly enforced.
Justice Aderemi noted that occupants had been duly notified prior to the demolition, and that the move was necessary to address safety and health concerns. She pointed out that the shanties clung to the fence of the school and had become hotspots for criminal activity, drug use, and other vices, posing a serious threat to the students and the learning environment.
Supporting the enforcement, Omololu Babatola from the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology, representing the Land Matters Unit, Department of Planning, Research and Statistics, described the situation in the Sabo-Jembewon area as a persistent obstacle to education in the community.
