The Oyo State Housing Corporation has issued a strong warning to owners of undeveloped plots in the Owode Housing Estate Phase II, Apata, Ibadan, after a fact-finding visit revealed serious security concerns stemming from decades of neglect. The alarm was raised by residents, who reported that the vast, uninhabited sections of the estate had become heavily forested and turned into a base for criminals responsible for violent attacks, robberies, and other disturbing activities.
Following an on-the-spot inspection, the Chairman of the Housing Corporation, Hon. Demola Omotosho, expressed deep concern over the condition of the estate. He noted that despite being created nearly half a century ago, only a fraction of the land—about twenty percent—has been developed. According to him, Owode Phase II contains almost one thousand hectares of abandoned plots, and the neglect has created fertile ground for insecurity. He pointed to a recent attack on a seventy-six-year-old resident as a troubling example of the escalating danger in the area.
Omotosho stated that the corporation can no longer overlook the long-term failure of allottees to develop their plots. He explained that the Oyo State Housing Corporation Law of 2001 makes it clear that any plot left undeveloped for more than two years, or not fully paid for within a year, automatically risks revocation. Many of the current allottees, he said, have held onto their allocation papers for decades without meeting these obligations, despite knowing the rules from the outset.
He stressed that land within government housing estates is not meant to be hoarded indefinitely or kept “as a souvenir,” especially when inaction directly contributes to insecurity for the people who actually live there. In response, the government is moving forward with the revocation of all undeveloped plots and intends to reposition the estate as a functional residential district through a Public-Private Partnership.
To stabilise the area and restore residents’ confidence, Omotosho outlined a series of security and infrastructural upgrades that will soon be put in place. These include the creation of a permanent Police Post, the establishment of an Amotekun base, and the installation of solar-powered streetlights to improve visibility across the estate. He said that development work will continue in phases from now until June 2026, when the full rehabilitation plan is expected to take shape.
Omotosho added that the government is already undertaking similar efforts in other parts of the state, including Ajoda New Town, where the first set of one thousand housing units is scheduled for completion by June of next year. According to him, these initiatives reflect the administration’s broader commitment to ensuring safer, better-planned communities and preventing government-owned estates from slipping into disrepair.
Post comments (0)