Some residents of the Jafojo community in Agege Local Council Development Area of Lagos have called on the 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.

Suleiman Ogundare, a community leader in the area, said people at times littered the cemetery environment with abandoned corpses.

“People often come around from nowhere at night to dump corpses within the area without approaching the cemetery attendant.

“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.

“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,” Mr Ogundare said.

Similarly, Mary Abdul, a resident of the community affirmed 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, however, noted that some youths in the community sometimes keep vigil to chase people intending to dump corpses illegally in the area.

Gbolagade Agoro, also a resident of the area, said 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 are deserted, as people stay indoors because of the challenges of the activities around the cemetery,” Mr Agoro said.

(NAN)