Residents of Nigeria’s first housing estate, Bodija Estate, have cried to the Oyo state government for help over activities and operations of club houses in the area.
Speaking on their predicament, they lamented that they no longer sleep day and night due to the noise coming from the numerous night clubs around the estate.
They added that it has become difficult to come in and go out of their various houses from 9 pm till 4 am because cars are parked indiscriminately on both sides of the road, and any other available spaces by clubbers.
Bodija Estate residents also recounted how they have been exposed to security breaches by the unregulated ways the Oyo State Housing Corporation is conducting its affairs in Bodija.
“We are miffed by the development in Bodija Estate as residents, and we think it is time to speak up for the public and maybe the governor will know what we are facing.
“We know that the ‘conversion’ of Bodija Estate to commercial plots did not start today. We believe that we are in a changing world. And that was why we decided to be quiet when the Oyo State Housing Corporation started giving approval for nightclubs. Most times, our wives and daughters have been harassed by clubbers. We have had to wait for several hours, to enter our various homes, because someone had used his car to block our entrance.
“In the last few days, we have not been able to sleep. If it is not the many speakers hung everywhere at these numerous clubs, the way they parked their cars have become a source of worry for us.
“We cannot continue this way. We want the government and the approving agency to do something. We may be forced to take the legal option. Good, night clubs have been approved against the rule setting up the estate, but there should be regulations about how they operate.
“We are not in local areas; our lives shouldn’t be endangered by these people”, they added.