Indigenes and residents of Olope Metta village in Akinyele Local Government Area of Oyo State have cried out to Governor Seyi Makinde, urging him to halt the planned demolition of their ancestral homes by the state government.
The residents, in a Save Our Soul letter made available to journalists in Ibadan on Wednesday, expressed deep worry that their centuries-old heritage and community could be wiped out under the guise of road expansion.
The appeal, signed by the village’s spokesperson, Kamardin Ayotunde, and secretary, Moshood Tiamiyu, was addressed to the governor and comes days after the state Ministry of Works reportedly issued a seven-day demolition notice to residents.
According to the petitioners, officials from the Ministry of Works visited Olope Metta on Monday, April 14, 2025, and served notices on scores of property owners, indicating that their buildings, business premises, and places of worship would be brought down for allegedly encroaching on the right of way of a federal highway.
But the villagers insisted the new markings go beyond previous boundaries established during earlier road construction projects along the old Oyo-Ibadan Road, accusing the ministry of significantly expanding the scope of demolition.
“The new markings have gone far beyond what was earlier identified. This fresh encroachment cuts deep into our village and threatens the very existence of our community,” the letter read.
Describing the development as “shocking and deeply distressing,” Ayotunde and Tiamiyu urged Governor Makinde to intervene urgently and stop what they termed an impending cultural and humanitarian disaster.
They further pleaded with the governor to prevail on the state’s Ministry of Works to reconsider its decision and explore alternatives that would not displace generations of families and uproot a historical settlement.
“We are not against development or progress, but we believe it should not come at the cost of displacing entire communities and destroying cultural legacies,” they said.
Meanwhile, Governor Makinde on Monday officially flagged off the 2025 edition of the Oyo State International Trade Fair, tagged EXPOYO 2025, as part of efforts to boost investment and commerce in the state.
Efforts to get a reaction from the Oyo State Ministry of Works were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.
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