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Residents Of Ilaje Community Protests Renaming Of Road As “King Sunny Ade Road” By Bariga LCDA
Residents of Ilaje Road area of Bariga Local Council Development Area (LCDA) in Lagos State on Wednesday staged a peaceful protest against the renaming of the area as King Sunny Ade Road.
Recall that the out-gone Chairman of the LCDA, Hon David Kolade Alabi had last week renamed the street along with some others in the area amidst protests by residents of the area.
Addressing the residents of the area before the protest around Ilaje Road, the Baale of Ilaje/Bariga Community, now Oba-Elect of the area, High Chief Kayode Ayetiwa, said that the renaming was not acceptable, but that the new Chairman of the LCDA, Hon. Bukola Adedeji, called him on phone on Tuesday and said that the decision would be reversed.
“The new chairperson of the council, Hon Bukola Adedeji called me on the phone and begged me that we should not welcome to her to the office with protest.
“She promised to do whatever we wanted, but I told her that we will still protest around the area and submit a protest letter to the council.
“We will not allow them to change the heritage of our people as the community came into existence in 1948 and it has always been called Ilaje Road and we want it like that,” he said.
In the protest letter signed by the monarch and others, the community said that “the entire Ilaje Community, Bariga, Lagos by this letter hereby tender our unreserved peaceful protest against the announcement by the outgone Chairman of Bariga LCDA, Hon David Kolade Alabi, who had acted unconstitutionally and in breach of the legislative endorsement by the councillors of the LCDA.”
They stated that they have resolved, by the letter, to oppose the renaming of “Ilaje Road,” which they said is a communal milestone as distinct to any individual person or entity’s name no matter how famous.
“We therefore urge you to use your good office to revert to “Ilaje Road” as distinct to “King Sunny Ade Road,” notwithstanding the fame of the Juju maestro,” the letter read.
Also speaking during the protest, the President General of Egbe Omo Ilaje, Mr Raphael Irowanu, said that there is a grand plan to erase Ilajes from Lagos State.
Irowanu however, said that the history of Lagos State is not complete without Ilaje people, who he said are about four million in population size in the state.
“Our forefathers used to be Obas in Ile Ife, Osun State. We are the original Yorubas. We are not foreigners, we are true children of Oduduwa.
“They have been demolishing our settlements in Lagos State. So, we are not surprised by what they did with Ilaje Road. But we want them to know that it will have political consequences on the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027 if it is not reversed.
“The renaming of Ilaje Road as King Sunny Ade Road is meant to cause crisis because the popular musician is from Ondo State where we are hail from. We are against the interest of Hon David Kolade Alabi because he is against our interest.
“We want the new chairperson of the local government to disassociate herself from this. We will write Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State and some of our Obas about the issue,” he said.
Mr Irowanu however, revealed that the people of Ilaje would protest to Alausa on Monday August 11, 2025 to protest against the policies of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State against the Ilajes in the state.
Some of the placards of the protesters read; ” Ilaje Road, our history, our identity, we oppose renaming, “We deserve better treatment,” ” Ilaje is a tribe in Yorubaland,” and “We Ilajes say capital NO to renaming, the road remains Ilaje Road, Bariga LCDA.”
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