More than 600 homes in Ayetoro, a coastal community in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, have been swallowed by the advancing Atlantic Ocean, leaving residents displaced and critical infrastructure in ruins.
A video posted on X by civic accountability organisation MonITNG captures the scale of the destruction: washed-out streets, collapsed buildings, and makeshift concrete barriers erected by residents in a desperate bid to shield the community’s historic block palace from the encroaching sea.
An unidentified resident featured in the video described the town as being “at the mercy of the sea,” noting that the ocean has advanced to within five metres of the palace — one of the last surviving landmarks.
He said the broad streets that once defined the community have been mostly erased.
“Eighty percent of the broad streets have been destroyed by the ravaging ocean surge,” he lamented, pointing out relics of homes and factories swept away by the water.
According to him, over 600 residential buildings as well as key community structures have already been lost.
Residents expressed frustration over the absence of meaningful government intervention.
“One community member said locals were forced to rely on their own limited resources to hold back the water.
“If we can’t do it, no one will come to do it for us,” he said, adding that the community continues to appeal to both local and state authorities for urgent support.
“We have no other choice. We have to protect our people.”
MonITNG reported that the ocean surge has also destroyed farmlands, markets, schools, churches, and other public facilities, leaving the community severely battered.
The platform questioned why ecological funds allocated to safeguard vulnerable coastal settlements like Ayetoro were not deployed, despite earlier warnings from federal early-warning agencies about rising sea levels.
The organisation called for urgent government action, including the construction of coastal defences, land reclamation, and long-term resilience planning to prevent further devastation and protect what remains of the community.
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