The controversy surrounding the demolition of structures along the Ibadan rail corridor has intensified following a press release by the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), accusing the Oyo State Government and the Ibadan South-West Local Government of destroying federal rail assets worth millions of naira.
The Ibadan South-West Local Government Chairman, Hon. Kehinde Akande, has equally refuted the allegations by the Nigeria Railway Corporation in Ibadan, that it carried out illegal demolition on its properties, describing the NRC’s claims as false, misleading and deliberately peddling falsehood.
Dismissing the allegations, the council boss insisted that the exercise was lawful, well coordinated under security watch and did not affect any railway assets.
Reacting to the statement by the NRC, the council boss, while playing host to the affected property owners in his office on Wednesday, February 4, said neither the local government nor the Oyo State Government destroyed any railway assets or encroached on any rail right-of-way.
He maintained that the demolition exercise was part of a lawful road construction project aimed at improving infrastructure within the local government.
He insisted that the NRC could not deny being served due notification, insisting that the Corporation was officially notified for over one year before it embarked on the commencement of the road project.
“It is quite unfortunate that people will go around peddling lies, the state government under Governor Seyi Makinde will never do anything illegal, what we are doing is development,” Akande said.
According to him, the area affected by the demolition had been red-marked for over a year by the Ministry of Lands and the Ministry of Works in conjunction with the project contractor, adding that the NRC was aware of the markings and failed to raise objections or notify the property owners.
“The place was red-marked for over one year. If they believed it was their land, they should have reached out. Silence at times means consent,” he said.
The chairman dismissed claims that hoodlums were used during the operation, insisting that the demolition was carried out in the presence of duly constituted security agencies including the police, civil defence corps and Amotekun operatives.
In his words, “No single rail line was affected. Not even one. Anyone can go to the site now and verify. What the NRC is alleging did not happen under my watch or under the supervision of the local government.”
He also rejected the NRC’s assertion that rail assets such as sleepers, signal poles and rails were destroyed.
“It was the Ministry of Lands and the Ministry of Works that marked the areas to be demolished, not the railway corporation,” he said.
Addressing the NRC’s claim that it was not notified, the council chairman revealed that there had been prior engagements between railway officials and the contractor weeks before construction commenced, including an earlier incident where railway police briefly arrested some contractors’ staff before the matter was resolved.
He expressed concern that the NRC resorted to public accusations rather than formal engagement, noting that the corporation had not officially contacted the local government since the incident but has gone to the media.
“The only thing I saw was a scandalous statement on the internet. That is wrong,” he said.
The chairman however, disclosed that the local government has written to the NRC inviting its officials for dialogue to resolve the dispute.
“We cannot continue at loggerheads. I have written to them and invited them for discussion. None of their properties were demolished,” he said.
Meanwhile, in an earlier statement by the NRC on Tuesday, which was widely circulated on social media, the NRC alleged that its fixed assets along the Mile One–Ten axis in Ibadan South-West Local Government Area were vandalised on Monday, February 2, 2026.
The NRC in the statement signed by its Public Relations Officer, Callistus Unyimadu, claimed that the council chairman was personally present during the incident and allegedly led a group that destroyed and carted away railway properties located within a statutorily protected right-of-way.
The NRC further alleged that its police command was resisted during attempts to stop the demolition, forcing officers to withdraw from the scene.
In their separate submissions, the affected property owners, Bishop Angus Benson, the General Overseer of Paragon of Faith Church and Mr Joel Adepoju who led a delegation of members of Faith and Miracle International church to the meeting with the local government chairman, condemned the demolition and sought for explore a mutual resolution on the situation.
Bishop Benson, while acknowledging that his property was duly red-marked by the authorities for demolition maintained that his land was validly and legally acquired from the NRC, noting that even though, the local government was not its landlord, his church was willing to explore a mutual resolution that will lay the matter to rest.
In a contrary submission however, Mr Adepoju of the Faith and Miracle International church, maintained that they were neither notified nor their church building red-marked for demolition.
They stated that their land was legally acquired from NRC and the church construction was carried out in due compliance with all necessary building guidelines as affecting the railway corridor.
In his reaction, the contractor handling the road project along the railway corridor, Engr. Adebayo Ojuri, revealed that when NRC refused to accept or acknowledge the letter when they were officially served the notice of demolition.
He explained that the local government may not be aware that the NRC did not communicate the development to the property owners which occasioned the follow up protest after the demolition exercise, assuring that all measures to ensure a fair and mutual resolution would be explored.