Rail System: Adejare, Ogundimu seek NRC collaboration to curtail flooding in Agege

AgegePulse Magazine

Ogundimu, Adejare

A House of Representatives member, Rep. Dr. Samuel Adejare, has called for collaboration with the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) to enlarge the drainage channels in Agege area of Lagos to prevent flooding.

Adejare, representing Agege Federal Constituency, told newsmen recently during a visit to the flood prone area Ajegunle in Agege.

He said that the ongoing construction of new Lagos–Ibadan Standard gauge line had exposed the community to high risk of flooding during rainfall.


“We are going to collaborate with NRC to ensure that the drainage channel here is enlarge to accommodate the high flow of water during rainfall.

“This is a Federal Government project, which will affect all of us positively; at the same time, government will not allow flooding to happen in any community and that is why we are here to ensure that we do the needful.

“I will also advise the community to ensure they bag their waste properly for proper passage of water during the rainy season.

“If residents are dumping their refuses in the drainage channels, it affects the free flow of water, which resort to flooding.

“Efforts will be put in place to ensure the narrow drainage channel is enlarge to contain full force of water coming from the other side,” he said.

Earlier, Hon. Yinka Ogundimu, a member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, appealed to the NRC and Federal Government to do rectification of the drainage channel before rainy season.

Ogundimu, Agege Constituency 2, said that the drainage channels constructed by the contractor handling the rail line was too small to accommodate the high flow of rain water.

“We want the NRC to come and do rectification in Agege Community; the drainage channel provided by the contractor is too small.

”This is a ‘Save Our Soul’ message to the government so that our people will not perish here.

”Now, we have foreseen this problem before occurrence, that is why we are calling on those who are concern to be proactive in solving the problem,” he said.

Recall, AgegePulse Magazine earlier reported that members of Ajegunle Community in Agege Local Government Area of the state had complained that the ongoing construction work would exposed the community to flooding.

Commenting, Mr Julius Ekemode, a Leader in Ajegunle Agege Community, said that the area was prone to flooding due to the construction of the new rail lines.

Ekemode urged the Federal Government and the NRC to come to the rescue of the community and build a canal in the community.

”We are sending an SOS message to government to take proactive measure to prevent the looming disaster as a result of flooding in this community.

”Rail line is good for the society, no doubt about it, but our community is in danger of flooding when the rain starts.

”With the little rains we have experienced here in January, for just about 30 minutes, everywhere was flooded.

”It was terrible, just imagine what will happen when the rains starts properly.

“The community is now appealing to the government and the NRC to come to our aid and build a canal for us that will withstand the full force of the water during the downpour.

“With the high rise of the rail line, compared to buildings in our community, it is like we are now in the valley which exposes us to flooding whenever it rains,” he said.

Rail Construction: Agege community prone to flooding- Community tells NRC, FG

AgegePulse Magazine

Ajegunle Community

Following the rail construction in Agege, Ajegunle Community in Agege Local Government Area of Lagos State, the community leaders say the ongoing construction of Lagos–Ibadan Standard gauge line has exposed the community to flooding.

Rail in Agege

Mr Julius Ekemode, a Leader in Ajegunle Agege Community in an interview with AgegePulse Magazine, said that the community was “seriously prone to flooding due to the construction of the new rail lines’’.

Julius urged the Federal Government and Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) to come to the rescue of the community and build a canal in the community.

“We are sending a SOS message to government to take proactive measure to prevent the looming disaster as a result of flooding in this community.

“Rail line is good for the society no doubt about it, but our community is in danger of flooding when rain start.

“With little rain we have experienced here in January, just about 30 minutes, everywhere was flooded. (We have a video evidence).

“It was terrible, just imagine what will happen when the rain starts properly.

“The community is now appealing to the government and the NRC to come to our aid and build a canal for us that will withstand the full force of the water during the downpour.

“With high level of the rail line compare to buildings in our community, it’s like we are now in the valley which exposes us to flooding whenever it rains,” he said.

Also, Dr Samuel Olukayode, another community leader, appealed to the government to provide another secondary School for the community as the rail line had disconnected the area from others.

“The only secondary school our children attend is now at the other side of the standard gauge line.

“We can’t afford to put the life our children at risk on daily basis by crossing the rail line to the other side.

“We beg the government to come to our aid quickly before the matter become disaster.

“This is a big community and we don’t want the situation where the matter will go out of hands,” Olukayode said.

Speaking, Hon. Yinka Ogundimu, a member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, appealed to NRC and Federal Government to do rectification of the drainage channel before the rain started.

Ogundimu, representing Agege Constituency 2, said that the drainage channels constructed by contractor handling the rail line was too small to accommodate the high flow of rain water.

“We want the NRC to come and do rectification in, Ajegunle Agege Community; the drainage provided by the contractor is too small compared to previous canal.

“This is a save our soul message to the government otherwise our people will perish here.

“Now, we have foreseen this problem before occurrence, that is why we are calling on those who are concern to be proactive in solving the problem,” he said.

Flood, Agege

During her visit to the area, Mrs Folashade Adefisayo, the Commissioner for Education, urged the community to write to the state government, assuring them that necessary actions would be taken soon.

“Write a letter to the state government about the building of new secondary school in your area, and I am assuring you that your plights would be considered.

“Truly, we won’t allow those small children to be crossing such rail line with top speed, it is too risky.

“The state government will find solutions to all the challenges attached to the new standard gauge line in this area,” Adefisayo said.

Lagos residents lament as robbers kill two in reprisal

Residents and traders on Okoya Street in the Ajegunle area of Lagos State have lamented the robbery attack that allegedly led to the death of two guards and the burglary of many shops.

The attack, which reportedly happened around 2am on Tuesday, was said to have been a reprisal by the robbers against a vigilance group contracted to guard the community.


PUNCH Metro had reported on May 8, 2018, that a salesman, identified as Obinna, was allegedly killed by a police stray bullet during a street fight involving some youths and hoodlums who invaded Okoya Street.

The hoodlums, reportedly identified as Cemetery Boys, had allegedly been robbing and terrorising residents.

Our correspondent learnt that in a bid to curb the attacks by the hoodlums, the vigilance group had engaged them for about three days.

A member of the vigilance group, Kamoru Lateef, alleged that the Tuesday robbers were Cemetery Boys, adding that they were led by one Kaka.

Lateef also said the hoodlums, who were armed with guns and other weapons allegedly killed two guards, identified as Jesse Onanuba and Isa.

He said, “The Cemetery Boys killed two members of our group. They shot Isa and Jesse Onanuba. When they killed Jesse, they cut his two hands and private parts. They shot Isa in the chest.

“Before this attack, the Cemetery Boys had robbed a resident of Okoya of his mobile phone. After he reported to us, two members of our group went on a peace meeting to retrieve the phone.

“They stabbed the peacemakers with daggers and we reported the matter to the Layeni Police Station.

“It was after this incident that they attacked us. I saw them burgled some shops and stole goods and other property. Some residents and vigilance group members came out to protect the community, but we never knew they had guns. It was too late when the boys knew that they had guns; and that was how Isa and Jesse were killed.”

Our correspondent gathered that the family of the deceased had yet to locate the corpses of their sons.

The eldest brother of late Jesse, Christian Chukwunedu, said he did not know how to break the news of his brother’s death to his parents.

“The police have not made any arrest; they have refused to provide the remains of my brother; I want the government to investigate this incident because I want justice for my brother.”

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A 35-year-old bar owner, Ejiro Omoniyi, said she lost N400,000 to the hoodlums.”

The state police spokesman, CSP Chike Oti, said, “There is neither record of murder at Layeni nor any other police station in the Ajegunle area. If there is any such case, we encourage residents to report to the police so that proper investigation can be done.”