The Take It Back Movement has helped residents of the Igbala Community Development Area (CDA), Joju in Sango-Ota, Ogun State reclaim a vital access road illegally blocked by a private company.
The struggle began after Solmudia Company, owned by Mr. Patrick Anegbe, who also serves as the Managing Director of International Distillers Limited, erected a barricade on a long-standing public road that served the Igbala community.
This action sparked widespread outrage, as the road is a crucial link for daily movement, commercial activities, and emergency services.
Community members accused Mr. Anegbe of using his influence to deny public access in a move that disrupted lives and violated communal rights. The obstruction caused considerable hardship, prompting calls for urgent redress.
Responding swiftly, the Take It Back Movement, led by its Ogun State Coordinator Comrade Festus Akanbi Afofun (Ifadola), mobilized residents, engaged the media, and mounted pressure on relevant authorities. The Movement’s involvement marked a turning point, transforming local frustration into organized resistance.
The Movement’s efforts were bolstered by contributions from Comrade Akande of the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership (CACOL), independent media advocacy by ObjecTv Media led by Comrade Segun O’Law, and legal backing from Oladimeji Afofun Law Chambers. The intervention of the Olota of Ota, the community’s royal authority, also played a key role in mediating the dispute.
After weeks of relentless advocacy, the Ogun State Town Planning Authority finally intervened. On July 29, 2025, the illegal barricade was officially dismantled and the road reopened, restoring access to the community.
“This is a victory rooted in collective action and truth,” said Comrade Oyefade Oluwaseun Opeyemi, the Movement’s Public Relations Officer in Ogun State. “It proves that no one, regardless of status or wealth, can trample on the rights of the people without consequence.”
The Take It Back Movement declared the outcome a victory not only for the Igbala community but for all Nigerians resisting abuse of power. “The people spoke, we stood with them, and together, we won,” said Comrade Afofun.
The restored road now stands as a symbol of people-powered justice, one that reaffirms the power of grassroots mobilization in holding the powerful accountable.
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