Some residents of Jafojo community in Agege Local Council Development Area (LCDA) of Lagos State have called on the Lagos State Government to intervene over the challenges posed by the cemetery in the area.
The residents said the existence of the cemetery had led to health and security concerns as well as neglect of social amenities and developments in the community.
They made the call in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday.
Chief Suleiman Ogundare, a community leader in the area, said that people at times littered the cemetery environment with abandoned corpses.
According to him, residents are passing through lots of environmental challenges.
“People often come around from nowhere at night to dump corpses within the area without approaching the cemetery attendant.
“We are begging the government to give us dividend of democracy; apart from the cemetery in our community, there is no other social amenities.
“There’s no school, no Primary Health Centre and market in our community here. Everything has been overshadowed by the cemetery, which is over 25 hectares.
“We are appealing to the government for quick intervention to help in finding lasting solutions to the challenges facing Jafojo community in Agege.
“Our water is polluted. We cannot dig well any longer. No drinkable water as our soil is polluted with the presence of the burial ground,” Ogundare said.
Similarly, Mrs Mary Abdul, a resident of the community who is a Registered Nurse, affirmed to NAN that people outside the area often come to dump corpses indiscriminately at the cemetery entrance.
“Sometimes, we find a body on the road without any means of identification. At times, corpses of children will be found at a corner,” she said.
She said that this posed an environmental threat to the residents, especially to children.
Abdul urged the government to provide security in the community as that would checkmate the illegal dumping of corpses in the area.
She, however, noted that some youths in the community sometimes keep vigil to chase people intending to dump corpses illegally in the area.
Mr Gbolagade Agoro, also a resident of the area, said that the presence of the cemetery without adequate supervision also posed a great challenge to the businesses and social life of the community.
“Businesses and other social lives in this area have remained boring for many years now.
“This is because as soon as it is 7:00 p.m., the streets, everywhere is deserted, as people stay indoor because of the challenges of the activities around the cemetery,” Agoro said.
Agoro also called for constant supply of electricity, effective security to prevent arbitrary dumping of dead bodies as well as provision of social amenities that would encourage investors to the community. (NAN)
