23 communities in Akanbi Wards 1 and 2 in Ilorin South Local Government Area of Kwara State have protested against the planned revocation and acquisition of their ancestral lands by the government for its proposed Smart City project.
The communities claim that the government has not yet met with them to discuss and consider their recommendations. They have urged Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq to halt the project until their demands and suggestions are heard.
In response to reports by the state Geographic Information Service (GIS) titled “Ilorin Smart City: Kwara engages communities ahead of ground breaking,” the Chairman and Secretary of the communities, Azeez Omoloa and Wasiu Saka, stated that “the report is a clear attempt to conceal the truth and permanently silence us.
“The villages are worried and dissatisfied with how the government is handling the planned revocation/acquisition of our central lands for the smart city project without considering our rights as indigenes of the areas.
“It is an established fact that we have rejected the government’s plan to forcefully take over the only available lands that we use for agriculture and food processing to earn a living.
