Residents of the Yakoyo community in the Ojodu Abiodun area of Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State are appealing to the state government to relocate a dump within the community that has posed a threat to their health and the security of the community.

Reporters who visited the community on Monday gathered that the dump had become a hideout for some hoodlums who now peddle drugs within the area.

Our correspondent also learnt that the dump which had covered a section of the drainage system in the community, now causes flooding during the rainy season.

Speaking with our correspondent in an interview, a resident, Jide Olaniran, emphasised that the dump often oozed bad odour which he feared might cause health issues for the residents.

He added that some miscreants who had taken shelter at the dumpsite had turned it into a hideout for illegal activities.

Olaniran said, “This dumpsite is becoming a problem for us in this community. When it starts smelling, the odour will be everywhere and this is not good for our health. Some miscreants in the guise of cart pushers have also turned the dump into their house and they carry out illicit activities such as smoking in the area.

“The presence of these miscreants has also posed security threats to our community because we are conscious of the threats associated with their presence. The dump has also extended to the drainage and whenever there is heavy rainfall, it usually causes flooding because the water will be stagnant.

Olaniran added that several efforts to get the leadership of the Ifo LGA to relocate the dump have proved abortive while urging the state government to relocate the dumpsite.

“We have appealed and written to the Ifo LGA to help us relocate this dump but they did not yield to our request. We want to urge the state government to come to our aid before the situation deteriorates,” Olaniran said.

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Another resident, Chief Olatunde Onipede, corroborated the claims of Olaniran and stressed that some persons were conniving with the cart pushers to continue to dump refuse at the site.

He appealed to the state and LG authorities to relocate the dump.

“I want to say that this dump is becoming an eyesore for the community. It was not like this before but we learnt that some persons are conniving with the cart pushers to dump refuse here.

“There is a church beside the dumpsite that is mostly affected and the houses after the dump become flooded during the rainy season because the drainage has been blocked. Let the government come to our aid.”

When contacted on Monday, the Ogun State Commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, decried the proliferation of illegal dumps in some parts of the state.

He said that the ministry was working towards closing down illegal dumps pending the full functionality of the state waste management system.

The commissioner assured the community of the state’s commitment to closing the dump.

“We are aware of some illegal dumpsites in the Berger area. The issue is that our waste management system has yet to reach its full potential but we are working on closing down these dumps.

“We will close down the illegal dump,” Oresanya said.