Ocean Surge Displaced Lagos Community, Residents Plead for Help

The Okun-Alfa community in Eti-Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State is on the brink of extinction as ocean surges continue to swallow homes, schools, and farmlands, leaving residents homeless and desperate for government support.

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<span;>‎At a press conference on Saturday, the Baale of the community, Yusuf Elegushi, said the surge had already consumed more than 80 percent of the community’s land, displacing hundreds of families and destroying basic amenities.

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<span;>‎“This community has existed for over 500 years. Our forefathers are buried here; we are not strangers. Yet, our land is disappearing daily,”

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<span;>‎Elegushi lamented that instead of receiving help, the community recently got a government notice to vacate.

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<span;>‎According to him, many elderly residents, some above 80 years old, would be left stranded if forced to abandon their ancestral homes.

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<span;>‎“We are not asking for evacuation, we are asking for help to reclaim our land from the ocean,” he said.

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<span;>‎Adekunle Elegushi, chairman of the Community Development Association (CDA), also appealed to the authorities to halt a 24-hour eviction notice given to residents.

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<span;>‎He recalled that an intervention initiated by former Lagos governor, Babatunde Fashola, in 2019 helped reduce the surge temporarily but was abandoned mid-way.

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<span;>‎“The project stopped without continuity. Since then, our maternity centre, schools, recreation grounds, and many homes have been submerged. Now most families live in emergency plank houses,” he explained.

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<span;>‎Elderly residents echoed similar fears. Octogenarian Sidikatu Liasu-Banuso urged the government to reconsider demolition plans, insisting relocation was not a solution.

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<span;>‎“This is my ancestral land. I am over 80 years old. Where do they expect us to go?” she asked.

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<span;>‎Another resident, Taofeek Ibraheem, said the demolition order would wipe out the community entirely.

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<span;>‎“We appeal to the government to rescue us before it is too late. Many of us already live in makeshift shelters after losing our buildings to the surge,” he said.

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<span;>‎The residents stressed that without immediate intervention from both the federal and state governments, the community risks total extinction, worsening Lagos’ growing humanitarian and displacement crisis.