The Oyo State government on Saturday began demolition of the popular D’Castle hotel ,Ibadan, OYOINSIGHT.COM.COM can confirm.
Though it wasn’t sure whether or not the owner would be compensated, it was learnt that the state took over the building due to public concerns.
Those in the know of development said that when demolished, the land and the one behind it would be used as the armoury and training ground for Amotekun, a joint security network organized by the south west states to tackle insecurity. The state joint security network, Operation Burst, would also use the place.
”Yes, the state has acquired the place. When government wrote the owner when people raised public concerns, he was said to have told them that his inability to do some preventive work on the edifice was because the state haven’t been able to compensate him. You recall that the state, under the administration of late former governor Adebayo Alao-Akala, while dualizing the road from Mokola to Agodi Gate, demolished some properties on the road. So I think that was what he was referring to.
”While I cannot say whether or not he would be given something, the government may give him something especially as it is going to be used for public good. It is a win-win for both parties as the building has been there for close to three decades.”
Another source revealed that the Amotekun operational base to be built “would have operations and administrative offices, armoury and magazine, auditorium, motor transport workshop, staff clinic, command and control centre, quarter guard, training area, ICT and media centre, parade ground, guards house, sports area, staff/visitors’ car park and legal department which included ADR centre.”
OYOINSIGHT.COM had reported how the state in February 2024, after an inspection tour by the commissioner for lands and housing, of De Castle Inn, said the government got information from the public and security agencies that the structure had been constituting a security threat to the environment, as criminals and hoodlums usually hid there.
The security guards on duty, who addressed the Commissioner, said the hotel had been abandoned for over 10 years and had become a haven for the men of the underworld.
They claimed that the owner of the hotel is out of the country.
Credit: Oyo Insight
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