The first thing that hits visitors to the Oja Agbe Market in Ifo, Ogun State, is the suffocating stench from a towering dumpsite that looms over traders, buyers and residents. As residents and traders raise fears of food contamination, recurrent disease outbreaks and deadly accidents linked to the refuse-filled road, the market has become a symbol of a community trapped between neglect and survival, UTHMAN SALAMI writes
It was a rain-soaked Saturday, May 29, 2026, when this reporter visited the popular farmers’ market in Oja Oba along Sholu-Kajola Road in the Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State.
As heavy rains lashed the already waterlogged and muddy ground, scores of motorcycles lined up at the entrance of the road leading to the market and the communities, beckoning passengers despite the downpour. Clad in full nylon raincoats, the commercial riders braved the elements, determined to weather the storm.
Before this reporter stepped onto the slippery entrance, the stench hanging in the air was already overpowering, strong enough to churn the stomach and leave one gasping for breath.
While struggling through the suffocating odour, a towering mountain of refuse, the source of the foul smell, stood brazenly by the roadside like an unwelcome gatekeeper.
