ESA-OKE: ‘Military game village turns crime village’ as a billion-naira project rots away

Sad tales surrounding the proposed Armed Forces School, Games Village Esa-Oke, now ‘abandoned,’ which was facilitated by Oluwole Oke, a lawmaker representing Oriade/Obokun federal constituency in 2010, have refused to fade away with time. 16 years gone, but the project targeted to boost security and performance of military personnel is yet to be completed.

Residents of Oriade/Obokun federal constituency have also lost hope. Buildings have suffered extreme decline and severe environmental degradation, which caused damage to the roads on the land and did not help matters either. Indigenes of Esa-Oke, the host community, particularly farmers or landowners whose lands were taken to establish the proposed military game village, have continued to soak in regrets. The more they walk, ride, or drive past the ‘abandoned project’, the more they sink into deep regrets.

Origin

Findings by WITHIN NIGERIA revealed that the project ‘Armed Forces School and Games Village was introduced into the 2009/2010 budget through the Ministry of Defense.

Additional findings revealed that the project was facilitated to Esa-Oke, the host community, by Hon. Wole Oke, a lawmaker representing Ijesa North Federal Constituency.

“A few kilometers of road leading to the game village was tarred, and some routes were graded to motorable state. A structure that accommodates a security room and pillars holding two iron gates was erected at the entrance of the abandoned military village. Three buildings, which include the library and store, among others, were built and furnished until the project was abandoned,”  findings revealed. 

Where is the contractor?

Findings by WITHIN NIGERIA revealed that the project was contracted to HEA-BOND NIG LTD.

According to additional findings, HEA-BOND NIG LTD was incorporated in IBADAN, Nigeria, with Registration Number 264055. 

“It was registered on 02 Jan 1995, and its current status is unknown. The company’s registered office address is 14, ILARO STR., BODIJA, IBADAN, OYO.”

Information available on NG-Check.com revealed that the company has three directors, namely, Samson O. Adeniji, Hezekiah A. Adetokunbo, and Emmanuel A. Ilerioluwase. No phone number or email address to reach out to the company for a possible reaction.

When this reporter surfed the internet to reach them through social media handles, it was discovered that they have been active since 2022.

A check on the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) portal revealed that the company is inactive (not functioning).

A company that was awarded a contract worth millions of naira in 2010 now is inactive, and there’s no criminal investigation to unravel the abandonment, this reporter wondered.

COST?

A check by WITHIN NIGERIA revealed that the sum of N254 million was budgeted for the completion of the military game village in 2012.

However, the project as of 2017 had gulped more than N1 billion. Despite consistent funding allocations that lasted till 2022, the project is still in a moribund state, completely abandoned and in ruins. 

The Visit

WITHIN NIGERIA visited the abandoned Armed Forces School, Games Village in Esa-Oke. The project, which is situated along the Ijebu-Ijesa/Esa-Oke road, has a structure at the entrance with two brown-iron gates surrounded by thick bushes.

When this reporter arrived at the abandoned village, he did not meet any security guards, but the gates were widely opened. He walked into the abandoned game village through a tarred road and observed that thick bushes have surrounded buildings, and some of the acquired lands have been used for farming activities.

This reporter toured the abandoned game village and saw three buildings worth millions of naira in ruins. These buildings were surrounded by bushes. There were broken windows and cracks on walls, among others. Some roofing sheets, including window frames, have either been removed or carted away by criminals. Faeces belonging to cows littered some areas.

The reporter observed that some cracks on the walls were probably a result of the forceful removal of fixed equipment by criminal elements. 

Military game village now hideout for criminals—Tunji 

A resident of Esa-Oke simply identified as Tunji, who escorted this reporter to the’military village’ and disclosed that criminals who use the project area as a hideout are the ones who emptied the equipment attached to the buildings. 

According to Tunji, it is not advisable for a single person to visit the abandoned military game village because he or she can be robbed or attacked by criminal elements who use it as a hideout. 

As Tunji continued to narrate sad experiences or situations he had witnessed, the reporter was wondering how a proposed military game village became a village for criminals. 

Do you know that a criminal broke the window glass? Tunji asked as he tapped the reporter’s shoulder. Yes, the reporter who had traveled far in thoughts answered abruptly. 

Project’s neglect, a sad development, and a major setback—Moses 

A 31-year-old resident of Esa-Oke simply identified as Moses described the abandonment of the Armed Forces School, Game Village Esa-Oke, as a sad development.

According to Moses, the abandonment is no doubt a major setback for the town and neighboring communities. 

Moses stated that the town would have witnessed a major socio-economic turnaround if the project was successful. 

“Just think of a functional military game village and positive things it would attract for our economy. There will be more people and businesses. There will be more opportunities for our people. It is indeed a sad development,”  Moses added.

We waited in vain for 12 years to see the completion of the project, Dare discloses

A 43-year-old farmer identified as Dare, while expressing his dissatisfaction over the abandoned state of the military game village, told WITHIN NIGERIA that community leaders resolved to use the land for farming years after the project was abandoned. 

According to Dare, the entire people of Esa-Oke erupted in joy after the news of the proposed establishment of a military game village was relayed to us by Hon. Wole Oke, an indigene and lawmaker representing Obokun Oriade Federal Constituency. 

He stated that people were happy for the project because it would create several opportunities, such as employment and security, among others, for Esa-Oke and neighboring towns. 

‘They told us that there would be a school, a military formation, and a health center. People were so happy, and the community sacrificed acres of land for the purpose. In fact, the sacrifice nearly tore the community into pieces, but we scaled through because we were looking at a bigger picture’, Dare told WITHIN NIGERIA. 

He disclosed that some people truly came to the town barely three months after the community released several acres of land for the project.

“They brought big machines and cleared some areas in the land. They erected three buildings and a beautiful edifice at the entrance of the military game village. Shockingly, they paused the project and took their machines away from the site. We thought they would come back and finish what they started, but we were wrong. For 12 years, we waited in vain, a rather sad Dare further disclosed. 

I am not ready to farm for cows, says Sanmi

For Sanmi, the intrusion of his farmland by herdsmen is his primary concern. He felt the damages done to his farm by roaming Fulani herders and their cattle had caused setbacks for him. 

Sanmi, a polytechnic graduate who disclosed that he paid a fee to lease some acres of land for farming activities after the project was abandoned, claimed that his farm has been attacked twice by Fulani herders and their cattle.

“I am a graduate. I embarked on farming after years of job search without success. I have lost a sizable portion of my farm to attacks. I would have attempted large-scale farming, but the activities of Fulani herdsmen have weakened my morale. I cannot work on the farm for cows,”  Sanmi decried.

Return our land, Dapo begs FG

A 45-year-old man simply identified as Dapo has appealed to the federal government to return land to their owners since the project had been abandoned. 

Dapo, while conversing with WITHIN NIGERIA, claimed that those who forcefully took the land from them wanted to use it for a military project. 

Dapo, who claimed to be an indigene of Ido-Ekiti, argued that the land that occupied the project belongs to Esa-Oke and Ido-Ekiti.

He also begged the government to return the land to their rightful owners since the main purpose of acquiring the land has been defeated.

They collected the land from us because they wanted to establish a military game village. For 12 years, the project is nowhere to be found. It has become a grazing area, and farmers mostly Esa-Oke indigenes cultivate on the land. The government should return land to its rightful owners, Dapo added.

NO RESPONSE from Hon. Oluwole Busayo Oke

WITHIN NIGERIA contacted the lawmaker representing Obokun/Oriade Federal Constituency through SMS and WhatsApp messages, but we received no responses from him. This reporter also put a call across to the legislator, but he did not pick up his calls.

However, the Defense Headquarters has taken over the project after 16 years of neglect and abandonment, despite losses incurred by farmers and landowners, according to a trustworthy source.

Another insider, simply identified as Niyi, revealed that a team of project consultants and engineers had been dispatched from the headquarters to assess the state of the abandoned project by 2025.

“We are hopeful that they will not only come to evaluate but also help us complete the project because it has become a haven for criminals,” a depressed Niyi told WITHIN NIGERIA.