…Vow to march to Alausa, allege defiance of government order
By Evelyn Usman
LAGOS — Tension has gripped the Natufe/Animashaun Community in Surulere, Lagos, as residents over the weekend trooped out in protest against the construction of a cemetery in their neighbourhood.
The protesters described the project as illegal, life-threatening, and environmentally dangerous, insisting that it would not be allowed to proceed.
Armed with placards bearing inscriptions such as “No to cemetery in Nature Estate,” “Don’t impose cemetery threat,” “Don’t turn our homes into a graveyard zone,” and “Say no to nightmares and scary scenes,” the angry residents chanted, “No to cemetery! We don’t want cemetery!”
They vowed to sustain their resistance and to march to the Lagos State Government House in Alausa, Ikeja, this week to demand the government’s urgent intervention.
According to the protesters, the fence surrounding the proposed site had been marked twice by the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority (LASPPPA) with red inscriptions dated June 16 and June 26, 2025, yet the developer allegedly continued to mobilise workers to the site.
Vanguard observed that the property, located directly beneath a high-tension power line, had remained undeveloped for years due to its unsuitability for residential or commercial use.
Chairperson of the Natufe/Animashaun Community Development Association (CDA), Alhaja Aminat Omolabake Braimoh, said the decision to site a cemetery within a densely populated area had thrown residents into panic and confusion.
“One of the developers was even saying, ‘If you’re not careful, we can revoke your C of O, close down the school, and shut the church.’ You can see they are hell-bent on going ahead with this project,” she alleged.
“This is a threat to life and sanity. The site sits directly opposite a school and within a residential area. Each time it rains, the school gets flooded, and the water seeps into our boreholes. Now imagine what will happen when dead bodies are buried there — our drinking water will be contaminated.”
She appealed to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Commissioner for Information, the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, and the local government authorities to step in before the situation escalates.
“We are not against development,” she added. “But this is not development — it is death beside our homes.”
The residents also expressed frustration that Governor Sanwo-Olu had personally stopped the project on at least three occasions, questioning how one individual could allegedly flout multiple government orders.
Another resident, Mr. Olanrewaju Olaniran of Chief Nature Street, said the community had been battling the issue since 2020.
“We stood up against it immediately. We wrote to about 11 ministries, including Physical Planning and Environment. How can anyone bring a cemetery to a waterlogged area? If you bury someone here, it could lead to an epidemic. We are surrounded by canals and have always managed to solve our problems ourselves, but they want to force this cemetery on us. We are saying no,” he declared.
Also speaking, Mr. Seyi Oluwafolarin, another resident, described the project as both illegal and suspicious.
“It looks like some people have been settled elsewhere to allow this to happen. How can someone just come and start building a cemetery in the middle of a residential estate where people live, work, and raise children?” he queried.
For Mr. Devline Chigbo, Chairman of the Nature CDA, the proposed cemetery poses multiple risks — including water contamination, increased crime, and psychological distress.
“This land can be put to better use — a factory or industry that will create jobs and bring development, not a cemetery that will bring fear and death,” he said.
Another protester, who identified himself simply as Nedu, said the residents’ next step would be to take their protest to Alausa.
“We are not stopping here. This week, we’re marching to Alausa so the government can hear our cry. A cemetery here is a death sentence for the living,” he said.
As of press time, efforts to reach officials of the Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development were unsuccessful. However, sources hinted that the government might soon invite community representatives for dialogue to ease the rising tension over the disputed project.
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