Residents of Natufe Estate and surrounding areas in Surulere, Lagos, staged a protest on Saturday against the alleged construction of a cemetery within their residential community.
Despite heavy rainfall, protesters converged at the construction site. A large expanse of land bordered by homes, a school, a church, and located a few meters from the Bode Thomas traffic light. The site sits off Babs Animashaun Road in the Bode Thomas area of Surulere.
Carrying placards and chanting slogans opposing the project, residents of the area expressed strong opposition to the siting of a burial ground in what they described as a strictly residential zone.
According to the Natufe/Animashaun Community Development Association (CDA), the cemetery project had previously been initiated by the developer over two years ago but was halted following opposition from the community. The association said that construction resumed quietly during the recent Eid holiday, with workers operating around the clock to fast track development.
The CDA stated that the proximity of the proposed cemetery to schools, churches, and densely populated residential buildings poses serious health and environmental risks. It further noted that most residents rely on borehole water, which could be contaminated by cemetery-related seepage, thereby endangering public health.
The association confirmed that formal letters of complaint had been sent to the Chairman of Coker-Aguda Local Council Development Area (LCDA), with plans underway to notify additional government agencies. The CDA emphasized its commitment to lawful protest and called on authorities to immediately intervene and halt the project until the nature of the development is fully clarified and verified.
A former chairman of the CDA affirmed that the community had previously petitioned both local and state authorities to stop the same project during his tenure. He reiterated that documentation from those efforts exists and warned of the environmental consequences of reviving the cemetery plan.
According to the former CDA leadership, the community has occupied the area for over five decades, and any attempt to establish a burial site in the midst of such long standing residential development would be considered an act of disregard for public health, safety, and community welfare.
The councillor representing Natufe/Animashaun Ward at the local government level confirmed that the council is not aware of any approval granted for a cemetery at the said location. He described the proposal as unsuitable for the environment and pledged to escalate the matter to the relevant authorities for prompt action.
Efforts to obtain comments from the developer, Mr. Olumide Amure, proved unsuccessful. He requested time to respond and was informed that the story would be delayed until Sunday afternoon to accommodate his comments. However, as of 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, no response had been received, and follow up messages went unanswered.
The community maintains that it will continue to resist any development that threatens its environmental safety, public health, and residential integrity.
