Residents of Oyinkan Abayomi Drive (formerly Queens Drive), Ikoyi, Lagos State, have appealed to the Federal Government to order the contractor reclaiming land along the route to cease work, alleging that the project has caused unprecedented flooding and persistent noise pollution in the area.

The residents said the ongoing sand-filling of the lagoon had resulted in flooding, while dredging activities, even at night, had subjected them to constant noise.

A resident, Obaro Ibru, alleged that the canal had been overflowing into residential compounds because the sand-filling had blocked the flow of water from the major canal into the lagoon.

“All week, the entire household has not been sleeping and we have had to stay up until 4:00 a.m., bailing water from the ground-floor bedrooms, bathrooms and living rooms. This is an extremely serious health hazard.

“The very excuse they used, the claim of lagoon surge flood protection, is exactly what they have now caused. We never had flooding like this before. There is absolutely no regard for the environment and the people being affected.

“More rain is coming and we fear for our safety. There has been no intervention from either the Federal Government or the Lagos State Government. This is a living nightmare. We are facing threats.

“These are very sad days for the family, especially my ailing mother, who is now in her fourth month of lying in a hospital bed on drips.”

“We also suffer from 24-hour daily noise pollution from the dredgers working all night. It’s totally inhumane.”

Another resident, Daniel Gozama, said the flooding had affected residents and kept them awake, adding that the sand-filling had changed the natural flow of water into the lagoon.

“For instance, the water from other parts of Ikoyi that easily flows into the lagoon is restricted because of the work being done on the lagoon bank. People were hired to bail out water and the dirt that came into compounds.

“We wish we had a better way to stop the water from flowing into compounds. We are only appealing to the government to look into the situation.”