Special Report
Special Report: Inside Nigeria Police Barracks Of Disrepair
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Nigeria Police Barrack Ogun. photo credit: Yusuf Adeleke
Walking to the Nigerian Police Force Headquarters in Ogun state, popularly known as Eleweran on a Sunny day to cover the parade of some alleged criminals, it was obvious that there was a Barack in the premise but the leaking roof and dilapidated condition of the Barack would not let this reporter look away.
Yusuf Adeleke, a reporter at Fortress Newspaper, made a move to report the situation of the Nigerian Police Barack, on how many of the officers’ families were living in a daunting apartment called Barracks.
There is no doubt, the Nigerian Police Force remains a force in the country that gave no room for criminalities and injustice, while also punishing offenders of laws and orders. So the question now is why the majority of the Barracks were not in good condition or could live in a dilapidated Barack be part of the training given to the Nigerian Police families?
Aside from Barack in the headquarters, this reporter also made a move to visit some divisional headquarters in the state, which includes Mobile Police Force Command as well as Ibara police Barack.
The Barrack and its Current Features
Leaking roofs, cracking walls and rusted windows are the main features to explain the Nigerian Police Force Headquarters, Eleweran, and Mobile Police Force Barracks, in Abeokuta as the residents lament and are afraid of sudden collapse.
Photo credit: Yusuf Adeleke
Health implications of an unhealthy environment
According to WHO research in 2016, an estimated 12.6 million deaths each year are attributable to unhealthy environments.
An estimated 12.6 million people died as a result of living or working in an unhealthy environment in 2012 – nearly 1 in 4 of total global deaths, according to new estimates from WHO. Environmental risk factors, such as air, water, and soil pollution, chemical exposures, climate change, and ultraviolet radiation, contribute to more than 100 diseases and injuries.
Healthier environment: healthier people
“A healthy environment underpins a healthy population,” says Dr. Margaret Chan, WHO Director-General. “If countries do not take actions to make environments where people live and work healthy, millions will continue to become ill and die too young.”
The report emphasizes cost-effective measures that countries can take to reverse the upward trend of environment-related diseases and deaths. These include reducing the use of solid fuels for cooking and increasing access to low-carbon energy technologies.
Dr. Maria Neira, WHO Director, Department of Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants of Health. Said “There’s an urgent need for investment in strategies to reduce environmental risks in our cities, homes, and workplaces”, she added that “Such investments can significantly reduce the rising worldwide burden of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, injuries, and cancers, and lead to immediate savings in healthcare costs.”
The report explained that environmental risks take their greatest toll on young children and older people, the report finds, with children under 5 and adults aged 50 to 75 years most impacted. Yearly, the deaths of 1.7 million children under 5 and 4.9 million adults aged 50 to 75 could be prevented through better environmental management. Lower respiratory infections and diarrhoeal diseases mostly impact children under 5, while older people are most impacted by NCDs.
Meanwhile, the IGP of police through his PRO Muyiwa Adejobi disclosed the decision of the force to reconstruct and renovate some Barack in Lagos, while Ogun state was not mentioned for the project.
Recently, a dilapidated Barack in Ibadan was reported by Humnaglemedia. ng to have collapsed and a series of challenges were noted in the report.
The police PRO disclosed On the 3rd of May 2023 Muyiwa Adejobi on his Facebook page that the Nigerian police had planned to start the reconstruction of the barrack in Lagos.
Why one Facebook user Robinson Enofe commented that the reconstruction should be done amongst the 36 States. He added that almost all the barracks are really in their end time.
To balance this report, this reporter tried to get a reaction from him on the reconstruction plan. But he couldn’t be reached, while also sent him a message on his Facebook page, but as of the time of filing this report, he is yet to respond.
Barack Resident Laments over disrepair Barack in Ogun.
Gloria lives in Mobile Police Force command in Abeokuta the Ogun state capital, she disclosed that she has been living in the barracks for nearly a decade now, and she noted that although, the Provost is doing their best t ensure a healthy lifestyle in the barracks but the dilapidated condition of the is scary to her.
She added that the buildings they are living in are old with cracks on the walls, but reasonable maintenance by the Provost is what gave them hope to be living in the Barack.
“Some part of the building is cracking because it is old, we needed the government to attend to rescue us before it becomes a story that touches them”.
“I love living in the Barack, it’s just that some parts are already cracking and this could be dangerous to us that are living there”.
“It can cause a danger to us, I will just urge that the government to help us to establish a modern Barack more”.
A sergeant who pleaded anonymity disclosed that the Barrack had been in the same condition for a decade noting it has become part of a prayer point that they don’t experience the sudden collapse of the barrack.
“It has become part of our prayer point that we don’t experience a sudden collapse of the building, you can see yourself the situation of the barrack. Although some parts of it are still in good shape, the upstairs needed urgent attention”.
“Just recently I heard that they want to reconstruct some Barack to modern standards, I pray the government sees this as a matter of urgency”.
Photo credit: Yusuf Adeleke
Expert Reaction.
According to an expert Asiwaju Ibrahim Jinadu, the CEO of Abiodun Consulting and Raal estate firm noted that a building can collapse at any time depending on the material used, he added that it can also happen reaches its obsolete level which is about 30-40 years except if there is a continuous maintenance.
“A building can collapse at any time, depending on the materials used for the structure, but by practical experience when it reaches its obsolete level which is between 30 to 40 years, without proper maintenance, it can collapse”.
“If there is proper maintenance a structure can last as long as more than four decades”. He asserted.
End
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In a time when public service is often measured by visibility, Prince Abimbola Onabanjo represents a different model of leadership; one defined not by noise, but by results. Across Ijebu-Ode, his name is increasingly associated with tangible progress, steady compassion, and a form of service that places community needs above personal acclaim.
For years, Prince Onabanjo has worked largely outside the spotlight, supporting families, rehabilitating infrastructure, and strengthening educational institutions.
His impact is not announced with fanfare; it is felt in improved roads, better-equipped schools, and households that receive timely support when it matters most. Residents describe his approach as deliberate and sincere focused on outcomes rather than recognition. What distinguishes Prince Onabanjo’s humanitarian work is its inclusiveness.
His interventions cut across ethnic, cultural, and religious boundaries, reflecting a deep belief in shared humanity. From Yoruba to Hausa, Igbo, and others, beneficiaries speak of a man whose generosity is guided by need, not identity. In a diverse community, his actions quietly reinforce unity and mutual respect.
At the grassroots level, his support is both consistent and practical. Monthly food relief, cash assistance, and the distribution of school supplies reach families who are often overlooked. Rather than symbolic gestures, these efforts are designed to preserve dignity and create sustainable relief, ensuring help reaches those who need it most.
Education stands at the centre of Prince Onabanjo’s vision for long-term development. In a landmark initiative, he committed N25 million to support 25 schools across Ijebu-Ode, allocating N1million to each institution.
The program spanned both primary and secondary education, with 15 primary schools and 10 secondary schools benefiting—an intentional strategy to support students at critical stages of learning.
Beyond financial contributions, the initiative delivered direct support to students. Each beneficiary school received 150 school bags fully equipped with essential writing materials, removing basic barriers to learning and reinforcing his hands-on approach to educational development.
Infrastructure improvement is another area where his impact is clearly visible. Prince Onabanjo personally funded and oversaw the rehabilitation of several key roads, including Borogun Court, Ojushagbola Avenue, Abusalawu Street, and sections of Taiwo Osipitan Road.
These projects have improved mobility, accessibility, and daily living conditions for residents, reinforcing the link between infrastructure and quality of life.
Taken together, these efforts paint the picture of a leader deeply rooted in service one who understands that lasting change is built through consistency, empathy, and action. In Ijebu-Ode, Prince Abimbola Onabanjo’s legacy is not written in speeches, but in the everyday lives quietly improved by his commitment to community and progress.
Special Report
Ogijo Lead Poison: Researchers offer solutions to Industrial Pollution Threatens Lives and Communities
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Barely two weeks after the Ogun government offered free lead tests for Ogijo residents over alleged lead poisoning caused by seven used lead-acid battery (ULAB) recycling industries, a team of Nigerian researchers, Olaniyi Popoola, Olusola Ogundele, Abayomi Ladapo, and Samson Senbor, made groundbreaking findings that have given a leadway on how heavy metal contamination disrupts soil microbial communities, offering urgent insight into the environmental and public-health dangers unfolding in Ogijo, Ogun State, where lead poisoning from industrial battery operations has triggered widespread concern.
Their research, published in the book, “Soil Microbiome in Green Technology for Sustainability”, provides one of the clearest scientific explanations yet for how heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, mercury, chromium, zinc, and nickel affect both soil quality and human well-being.
From Soil to People: The Hidden Path of Contamination
Heavy metals are persistent pollutants, primarily originating from industrial waste and poorly regulated recycling operations. In Ogijo, battery-smelting sites have released hazardous lead particles into the soil and the surrounding environment. While visible contamination has sparked local alarm, the researchers caution that the real danger runs much deeper.
According to them, the first victims of heavy metal pollution are the microbial communities that form the foundation of healthy soil.
These microorganisms drive nutrient cycling, break down organic matter, support crop growth, and maintain soil structure. When heavy metals accumulate, they interfere with microbial biological processes, reducing biomass, crippling enzyme activity, and destabilising metabolic functions.
“These disruptions are not isolated environmental events—they cascade into the human population,” the authors explain.
As soil loses its microbial integrity, crops absorb contaminants more easily, dust becomes more toxic, and exposure among residents—especially children and pregnant women—rises sharply.
Lead, in particular, is linked to neurological impairment, developmental delays, 88hypertension, kidney dysfunction, and long-term cognitive damage.
Human Health at the Forefront:
While much of this research initially examined microbial changes, the team emphasises that the most pressing concern is human health. Lead and other heavy metals persist in the environment, contaminating soil, water, and food. The contamination is insidious: metals accumulate gradually, entering the food chain through crops and livestock or via dust inhalation, making exposure difficult to detect until severe health effects appear. Chronic lead exposure can have lifelong consequences, affecting intelligence, behaviour, and cardiovascular health.
“Our work goes beyond the soil itself,” says Abayomi Ladapo. “It is a wake-up call for public health authorities. Protecting communities in Ogijo requires urgent interventions that address both environmental contamination and direct human exposure.”
Scientific Solutions and Policy Guidance
The research highlights advanced technologies and multidisciplinary approaches that allow scientists to detect, map, and monitor heavy metal contamination in real time. By tracking contamination and identifying early biological indicators, policymakers and health agencies can design targeted strategies to prevent further poisoning, improve food and water safety, and protect vulnerable populations.
Although soil microbial disruption was a primary focus, the study underscores a critical connection: the deterioration of soil ecosystems amplifies human exposure. Healthy microbial communities act as natural buffers, breaking down contaminants and preventing metals like lead from accumulating in the environment. Their loss increases human risk, linking environmental degradation directly to public health.
A Roadmap Forward
The work of Popoola, Ogundele, Ladapo, and Senbore provides critical guidance for both environmental management and public health interventions. By bridging scientific research and actionable solutions, the team illuminates a pathway to:
• Reduce heavy metal exposure in affected communities
• Protect vulnerable populations, particularly children and pregnant women
• Restore environmental health in Ogijo and similar industrial regions
• Inform policy and regulatory frameworks to prevent future contamination
As Ogijo continues to grapple with the aftermath of industrial pollution, this research stands out as a vital contribution, offering evidence-based solutions to a problem that is as much about human lives as it is about the environment.
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Food and agriculture stakeholders in Ogun, Oyo, and Kwara States have expressed delight at the drop in food prices, praising the Federal Government for its policies and interventions.
In Tuesday’s survey of the News Agency of Nigeria, the respondents, however, cautioned that some loose ends needed to be tidied up to sustain the price reductions across the board.
At the Lafenwa, Kuto, and Olomore markets in Abeokuta, the survey revealed a significant drop in the prices of rice, beans, garri, groundnut oil, and yams.
It also showed that the prices of perishable items like peppers, onions, and tomatoes had dropped.
According to the survey, a ‘kongo’ of garri now sells for N500 as against N1,800 in August, while a bag of the commodity now costs N28,000, compared to N40,000 in August.
A 50kg bag of rice now sells for N53,000 from N68,000, while ‘Oloyin’ beans dropped from N70,000 to N60,000.
A 5-litre gallon of groundnut oil, which was sold for N16,000, now costs N13,000, while a 25-litre keg of King’s oil reduced from N70,000 to N66,000.
A medium basket of onions has dropped from N20,000 to N12,000, while a small basket of the same commodity has reduced from N10,000 to N5,000.
Similarly, a big bag of scotch bonnet pepper now goes for between N35,000 and N40,000, dropping from N60,000 and N65,000, respectively.
The small bucket of bonnet pepper, which previously sold for N15,000, now costs N6,000, just as a bag of tomatoes dropped from N70,000 to N50,000.
Meanwhile, six big tubers of yams, earlier sold between N17,000 and N20,000, now sell for N12,000, while medium sizes are sold between N4,000 and N6,000.
Some of the traders attributed the reduction to the recent decline in the exchange rate and reopening of land borders.
This, according to Sikirat Soyeye, a grain seller at Lafenwa market, has eased importation and improved the availability of food items, especially rice and groundnut oil.
“Our businesses have improved; since food items are now cheaper, people are now buying more.
“The reduction in the dollar rate and border reopening have really helped,” she said.
Soyeye, however, appealed to the government to sustain the stability of the naira, adding that traders now record higher sales and patronage.
At the Kuto Market, Tinuke Ayomide, a perishable goods seller, said the reduction in the prices of pepper and onions was due to the current harvest season of the items.
Ayomide, however, urged the government to strengthen security, particularly in the northern parts of the country where most food items originate, to ensure a steady reduction in commodity prices.
Similarly, a tomato seller at Olomore market, Mr Haruna Ibrahim, said the commodity recorded a slight price reduction, but compared with other items, it was still expensive.
Ibrahim also attributed the drop in perishable food prices to seasonal harvests.
A buyer, Ayomide Adedeji, expressed delight at the development, urging the government to sustain the trend through consistent policies.
“Food prices should not rise again, and the government must keep fuel prices stable.
When the dollar comes down, things become cheaper, so the government must ensure exchange rate stability and continue to support local farmers,” she said.
The Ogun Secretary, All Farmers Association of Nigeria, Abiodun Ogunjimi, said the current price reduction reflected a mix of seasonal harvests, reduced transport costs, and improved supply from farms and borders.
Ogunjimi, however, warned that without deliberate government policies, the gains might be temporary.
“To sustain this positive trend, the government should invest in local food production, reduce import duties on essential goods, and provide incentives for farmers.
“Our government should also look into improved storage facilities, rural infrastructure, and price monitoring systems to prevent future inflation and ensure food affordability for Nigerians,” Ogunjimi said.
Meanwhile, the Ogun Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Bolu Owotomo, said the reduction in food prices was due to effective government policies, even as the harvest season is ongoing.
According to Owotomo, the state government has intensified efforts to enhance food productivity and minimise post-harvest losses through various targeted initiatives and interventions.
He added that the state had done exceptionally well in the cassava industry and aquaculture sector, with thousands of farmers benefiting from capacity-building programmes.
The commissioner noted that the government had steadily expanded its input distribution to boost food productivity and was also still building processing facilities across the state.
“We’re not only stopping at providing processing centres, we are also linking our farmers to off-takers so that they won’t have to be the ones to be looking for markets themselves; we already have off-takers registered.
“It’s our joy that the government’s policies and interventions are having a positive impact on food prices in the state.
“Adequate state government interventions have really helped in the reduction of food prices,” said Owotomo.
In Ibadan, Alarudeen Aminu, a Reader in the Department of Economics, University of Ibadan, says the price reduction is largely driven by the nationwide harvest season.
He said food prices traditionally fall to their lowest during harvest periods across Nigeria’s agro-ecological zones.
“This year’s trend aligns with historical patterns, except in periods of drought, flood or other disruptions affecting food production,” he said.
He explained that increased local supply has forced imported food items to a downward readjustment.
“If there is excess supply, the price will fall to clear the market. That is what we are observing now,” he said.
The economist, however, stressed the need for coordinated government intervention to sustain the price reduction beyond the harvest period.
He said federal, state and local governments must invest more in domestic food production to stabilise prices.
According to him, expanding dry-season farming is critical as many farmers have already cultivated vegetables, tomatoes and early yam seedlings using FADAMA.
He urged governments to provide quality seedlings and launch radio and community campaigns to boost participation in off-season farming.
He also urged the governments to identify and support genuine farmers, particularly small-scale holders who supply the bulk of food consumed locally.
Aminu called for stronger rural security to encourage farmers who have abandoned farmlands due to attacks.
He emphasised that rural infrastructure, such as roads, bridges and basic amenities, must be prioritised, noting that such investment is largely the responsibility of the state and local governments.
He, therefore, recommended the revival of a structure similar to the defunct Directorate of Food, Roads and Rural Infrastructure and the Universal Basic Education model.
According to the economist, the structure is to be jointly funded by the federal and state governments.
However, a consumer, Taiwo Ajebamidele, urged the FG to provide more storage and preservation facilities to help control post-harvest surplus and wastage.
“The government can also buy off the surplus harvest from farmers to save their loss now, and resell it off-season.
Although foodstuffs, especially grains and cassava, are now surplus, the off-season time will come.
“However, with good storage and preservation, the preserved ones will be available for sale at cheap prices since they are from the government,” he said.
He also called on the government to reduce the pump price of petrol, which, in turn, would drop transportation costs.
The economy, he says, revolves around petrol.
A housewife, Mary Oguntade, said that while foodstuffs had become cheaper, people’s purchasing power was still weak.
According to Oguntade, though garri, beans, tomatoes and pepper are now selling at lower prices, they may still increase off-season.
She, however, said that the prices of fish, meat, eggs, chicken, palm oil and vegetable oil were still high.
Aduke Adebimpe, a rice merchant at Bodija market, affirmed that the price of rice had crashed.
According to her, a bag of 50kg, which sold between N60,000 and N64,000 in October, now sells between N54,000 and N56,000 across various markets in Ibadan.
“The Indian rice flooded the Nigerian markets from the Benin Republic, pushing prices of both imported and local rice down sharply.
“Another factor in price reduction is the strengthening of the Naira against the Dollar and CFA, thus making dollar‑priced imports cheaper,” she said.
She advised that the duty waiver on the importation of rice be sustained to make rice sell as low as N10,000.
A garri seller, Caroline Joseph, said the price of the commodity has dropped drastically as a bag of cassava, which sold between N10,000 and N15,000, now sells at N9,000.
Joseph said that a big bowl of garri, sold for N8,000, now sells at N4,000.
She, however, cautioned that the price reduction was seasonal, explaining that with the incoming dry season, the price of garri and cassava flour would increase again.
A consumer, Kabir Alebiosu, said that while the prices of rice, beans, and garri had reduced, there was no money to buy other necessary things to cook the foodstuffs.
Alebiosu said that the people’s purchasing power was still low; therefore, urging the government to do more to improve economic policies.
This, he said, would help the civil servants to, at least, feed their families.
In Ilorin, the Iyaloja-General of Kwara, Muhibat Olumon, while commending the government, pledged continuous support to the FG for stabilising the prices of food commodities.
She explained that, as the leader of marketers in Kwara, her team hold regular meetings with middlemen across the state to prevent the inflation of food commodities.
According to her, the market must be sanitised of traders who take advantage of people by inflating prices and coming around to blame the government.
She pledged, on behalf of other traders, to be faithful in their businesses and to remain their brothers’ keeper.
The Public Relations Officer, Tomatoes Dealers Association in Kwara, Nurudeen Alowonle, told NAN that a bag of tomatoes sells between N9,000 and N10,000.
According to him, a 25kg bag of bell pepper (atarodo) now sells between N7,000 and N10,000 in Ilorin.
The survey revealed that a bag of rice has dropped from N70,000 in October to N54,000.
A bag of Elubo (New), which sold for N140,000 in the last two months, now sells for N120,000, while the (Old) Elubo sells for N160,000.
News Agency of Nigeria
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