*’Where Will I Get Money To Build Another House In My Lifetime?’ –Grandma Weeps
By Stephen Gbadamosi, Ibadan
Tragedy struck in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Monday morning, as a bread distribution van reportedly knocked down and killed two women along the Alao-Akala Memorial Highway, Randa area of the town.
Eyewitnesses reported that the van, belonging to producers of Oluwabori Bread, and with registration number OYO AME 92 XB, was speeding when the victims attempted to cross the road.
“The two women died instantly. The van was moving at a very high speed; they couldn’t have survived the impact,” an eyewitness said.
Another eyewitness identified one of the victims as a local food vendor who sold ‘ekuru’ (bean pudding) at the Osupa area of the town.
Reports further indicated that the driver did not stop after the fatal collision. However, commercial motorcyclists were said to have pursued and intercepted the van before the driver was eventually apprehended.
Officials of Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) were said to have later arrived the scene and evacuated the remains of the victims.
Authorities are yet to release an official statement on the incident as of the time of filing this report.
Meanwhile, there were wailings, last week, as the State govt moved demolition exercise to Ologuneru suburbs,Ido Local Government Area (LGA) of the state.
Residents of the suburbs, particularly in Larriken and Olounde areas, were turned into wailers, as bulldozers of the state government descended on their communities to enforce demolition in respect of a circular road being constructed in the area.
Our reporter, who went round the sites in the early hours of Saturday, saw many residents salvaging remnants of agricultural produce and fences that fell to the bulldozers.
However, the operators, who claimed to be contractors and not government officials, said the exercise was only preliminary and “not the main demolition that is expected to come up in May, 2026.”
Residents said that as of the time of our reporter’s appearance, not less than 200 house and landed properties, including houses and fenced landed properties had had their parts affected by the exercise.
Affected areas of Ologuneru included Idi Igbaro, Oloogbo, Larriken, Abudu in Olu Ode area, among others.
A landlady, who simply identified herself as Iya Mama, said though they said her husband’s house would be spared till next year, the cassava plantation “we spent a lot of money on, on the adjoining two plots of land was wasted.”
“The cassava plantation is expected to mature in two years. They uprooted them in six months. We just have to make do with the loss.
“An old grandma built house here, completed. When we inform her of the development, she burst into tears, wondering how she would raise money to build another house in her lifetime.
“We don’t know how the government will assuage this loss. Where are we going to be living, even when they come back May next year?” she wondered, speaking in Yoruba.
Another landlord, whose house was marked for demolition, Mr. Ayo, said he couldn’t talk “because I don’t know where to start.”
Recall that a number of residents of the Oyo State capital affected by the circular road redesign have been crying out over their plight.
Residents of the Olounde, Ologuneru area, appeared to have been caught unawares as the bulldozers rolled in.
