Oyo State government has defended the demolition of an abandoned hotel, De Castle Inn, along Agodi Gate-Mokola Road in Ibadan over the weekend, saying it posed security threats to the area
The commissioner for Lands, Housing, Survey and Urban Development, Williams Akin-Funmilayo, said the building had been abandoned by the owner for years.
He said tthe state government had earlier warned owners of abandoned structures to use them.
The structure was previously used as a hotel in the metropolis, before it was abandoned, adding that such structures pose security threats as they were being used by criminals to perpetrate evil acts.
Akin-Funmilayo said the government had, in a statement issued in February 2025, cautioned that it would take over any abandoned structure posing a threat to the public.
“The government got information from the public and security agencies that the structure had been posing a security threat to the environment, as criminals and hoodlums usually hide there.
“They go on the streets to snatch telephones, bags, and other valuables from passersby. In addition, it has become a home for illicit drug users, who trade in illicit drugs as well as smoke different kinds of things.
“We are here to confirm what we heard and what we have seen. This place has been abandoned for the past 10 to 13 years.
“We are here to ensure the safety of the people living in this environment. So, we have seen for ourselves that this is a completely abandoned building.
“The government will work within the ambit of the law to take possession of the building to stop what is constituting a threat,” he said.
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