SIX-MONTH-OLD REFUSE HEAP RETURNS AS LAGOS RESIDENTS DEMAND URGENT CLEANUP

Residents and business owners along the Idimu-Ejigbo Road in Lagos State have called for urgent action over a large refuse heap that has remained on the road median for about six months. The waste, located around the Dorcas and Silva Estate section of the road, has become a source of offensive odours and environmental concerns for motorists, pedestrians, traders and residents in the area. A recent inspection found the refuse stretching for roughly 150 metres, with some of the waste spilling onto parts of the roadway.

Residents said the prolonged accumulation has become particularly unbearable during hot weather, when the smell from decomposing waste becomes stronger. A shop owner around Dorcas Bus Stop, Fatai Adegbenro, reportedly expressed frustration that the refuse had remained despite waste collection activities in the area. He questioned why the heap had not been removed when both the Lagos State Waste Management Authority and private-sector waste operators are active around the community.

The situation is also affecting businesses operating close to the affected stretch. Traders said customers, particularly those patronising food vendors, are increasingly reluctant to remain around the area because of the unpleasant odour. Residents described the situation as embarrassing, especially because Idimu-Ejigbo Road is a busy route used daily by a large number of commuters and motorists.

The latest development follows an earlier report by PUNCH about refuse heaps accumulating along road medians between Ejigbo and Idimu. Waste was subsequently evacuated from some sections of the affected route after the report, but residents said the cleanup did not extend to the portion around Dorcas and Silva Estate. According to one trader, the earlier exercise focused on the area from Idimu Bus Stop towards OPC Junction, leaving the heap further along the road untouched.

Residents are now appealing to the relevant waste-management authorities to clear the remaining refuse and establish measures to prevent fresh dumping at the location. They warned that allowing the heap to remain for longer could worsen the environmental conditions and further affect businesses and people living or operating along the busy Lagos road.