In response to the ongoing sea incursions devastating the coastal community of Ayetoro in the Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, the local youths have urged Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to declare a state of emergency in the area.

The youths reported that the environmental disaster has displaced and left over 5,000 people homeless . Representing the youths, Thompson Akingboye expressed concern over the significant damage caused by the ocean-surges,which have destroyed maternity and health facilities, schools, and small-scale factories established by the community.

Akingboye maintained that the only solution to save the community from sliding into the sea and going into extinction is for the government to ensure the protection of the shorelines in the community and the construction of an embankment.

He said: “Despite the enormous importance of this community and the danger confronting it, no tangible respite has come. The land continues to be eroded, houses continue to collapse into the sea, and people continue to die.

“Well-meaning indigenous peoples and groups have staged several protests and petitions to the government at all levels, yet nothing has been done. Today, the story of the Ayetoro community’s sea surge is a story of sorrow, tears, and blood. It is a sad story of fraud, neglect, losses, and death. It is a sad testament to the absence of government.

“We have lost billions of naira in real and tangible terms to this sea incursion. Every aspect of our lives has been greatly affected—economically, socially, educationally, and health-wise.”