Residents of Praise Hill Estate and its environs in the Arepo area of Obafemi Owode Local Government Area, Ogun State, have raised concerns over the ongoing construction of what they fear is a petrol filling station in a densely populated residential area.
The said project is located between Praise Hill Estate and a branch of the Foursquare Gospel Church.
PUNCH Metro correspondent, who was at the site, observed that the premises were locked though a closer view revealed at least seven workers inside the compound, along with a food vendor.
A security guard at the construction site denied it was a fuel station project when approached by PUNCH Metro correspondent.
A large pit, filled with red sand, stood out within the site, which residents believe conceals six large fuel tanks and underground piping, allegedly buried at night to avoid public scrutiny.
A senior pastor of the Foursquare Gospel Church, Rev. Kola Owolabi, confirmed hearing disturbing reports from community members.
“Sometime in the last two weeks, someone called me and asked if I was aware that a filling station was being built there.
“I wasn’t aware, so I asked my assistant to check. Later, I found out that Praise Hill Estate had received a letter from the property owner asking them to move their gate to allow access for a ‘commercial development’, he said.
Owolabi added, “They bring in materials at night. Even the big tanks were moved in secretly. They didn’t put up any project board because they knew people would raise questions. A resident even told me she saw them burying tanks at night, confirming our fears.”
He also questioned the rationale behind such a development. “This area already has multiple filling stations between Wawa and Ibafo.
“The road here is too narrow. Trucks can’t even turn in easily, which is why they want the estate’s security house moved. It’s risky. No one would ever approve a filling station here if due process were followed,” he said.
Residents informed PUNCH Metro that they were initially told the property would house a shopping mall.
But a recent letter addressed to the Ogun State Ministry of Urban and Physical Planning, dated April 9, 2025, and signed by the community chairman and secretary, Timi Oyelowo and Oluwabunmi Oluwatosin, painted a different picture.
“It has come to our notice that a fuel station is currently under construction in an area dangerously close to the entrance of Praise Hill Estate, a school with boarding facilities, and a place of worship.
“Originally, the promoter stated in a letter dated January 27, 2025, that the land would be used for a mall. However, recent activities suggest otherwise,” the letter read.
The letter urged the ministry to “intervene immediately” and halt the project, citing “significant safety, health, and environmental risks.”
It emphasised that the location is unsuitable for such a development and called for a “comprehensive review” to ensure compliance with urban and environmental planning laws.
In a separate letter sighted by PUNCH Metro, Yewande Aluko, legal counsel to the property owner, Sunday Babatunde, maintained that the property was intended “to be developed into a commercial premise (a mall) and potentially for other commercial purposes in the future.”
Aluko’s letter also noted that the estate gate was “hindering” development and requested permission to shift and reconstruct it “at no cost to the estate” to allow optimal access to the site.
When contacted on Monday, the Commissioner for the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, Tunji Odunlami, questioned the timeline of the communication.
He stated, “You mentioned that the letter was written on 9th April 2025, which was less than a week ago and with the weekend in between, but when was it submitted and received in my office?”
Despite sending him an acknowledged copy of the letter as requested, Odunlami had not responded to the message as of the time this report was filed on Tuesday.
