Idimu residents frustrated over slow road work and alleged extortion

Residents and business owners on Ogunrombi Street in Idimu, Lagos State are unhappy with the slow progress of a road repair project. They claim construction workers are blocking the road and extorting money from drivers trying to enter the area.

During a visit by PUNCH Metro to the site on Tuesday, residents shared their worries. They said the project, meant to resurface the road from Ogunrombi Street to Orisunmbare, was given a 12-month timeline by the Lagos State Government. However, the work is mostly incomplete, even with the deadline approaching.

The delay has created difficulties for drivers and businesses. Residents also questioned the quality of the work that has been done so far.

One resident, who asked to remain anonymous, told PUNCH Metro that work started in July 2025. Yet, the contractors have only scraped the road and built drainage channels.

"We are bothered by what is going on on our street, Ogunrombi Street, Idimu. The Lagos State Government awarded the contract for resurfacing the road from Ogunrombi to Orisunmbare for 12 months. They started in July 2025.

“As I speak, they have only scraped the surface and done the drainage. That is all they were able to achieve within the scheduled time for delivery of the job," the resident said.

The resident accused the workers of blocking traffic and asking for money from drivers to let them through.

"This week, they did literally nothing other than block the roads with their equipment to prevent vehicular movement, treating the people in the community with contempt. They converted the roadblock into a tollgate, extorting motorists to secure passage," the resident alleged.

Another resident, Tunde Filani, added that the workers blocked the entire road for a week using a caterpillar. They only moved it to one side, leaving a truck on the other side, which limited access for drivers.

He claimed the workers then asked drivers for money before letting them pass.

Filani noted that the owner of an event center along the road had to contact the contractor after the blockage made it hard for guests to access the facility. This led the contractor to instruct the workers to clear the road.

"The suffering is too much for us, and there is no hope that the project will be completed in another year, given the speed of work," he said.

A commercial motorcycle rider also complained about the delays. He said workers blocked the end of the road that connects to OPC Junction and demanded payments from riders to pass.

"They used their caterpillar to block the road last month and prevented us from using it. It was blocked at the other end of the road linking OPC Junction. So, we had to pay N10,000 weekly for us to pass," the rider alleged.

He explained that officials from their unit made the payments on behalf of members to secure access.

Similarly, Francis Udo, a manager of a company on the road, said the slow work pace has harmed the business, causing it to operate at a loss.

Udo said the removal of the company’s drive-in access when the project started has stopped trucks from entering the premises. Vehicles parked outside have been vandalized twice.

"We have been subjected to hardship as a result of this project. Our business has been running at a loss. When they started, they removed the drive-ins, and since then, we have not been able to move our truck into the compound.

"While we park outside, our truck has been vandalised twice. We had hoped that the work would be completed by July, but they are still foot-dragging," he lamented.

He also claimed that the workers block the road and ask for money instead of speeding up the project.

"Instead of them to hasten up, they resorted to blocking the road and extorting motorists. Sometimes, we paid N3,000 before they would allow us passage. It was later that their leader ordered them to open the road," he alleged.

Besides the delays and claims of extortion, residents are also worried about the quality of the work, especially the drive-ins.

Another resident, who also wanted to stay anonymous, claimed that some of the drive-ins began collapsing just a month after they were built.

"The drive-ins they made have started collapsing under the weight of small cars, and this is just a period of one month," the resident said.

Another resident said some landlords near the Paiko end of the road paid for iron materials after worrying about the quality of what the contractors were using.

PUNCH Metro saw that work was still ongoing at the Foursquare Avenue end of the road.

A sign at both ends of the road showed that the Lagos State Ministry of Works and Infrastructure is in charge of the project and that it should be finished within 12 months.

Residents have called on the state government and relevant authorities to look into the allegations of extortion and poor work quality. They want to ensure that construction is up to standard and that the project is finished quickly.

The spokesperson for the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, Adeshina Odunuga, could not be reached for comments. Calls made to him on Tuesday were not answered, and a text message sent had not been replied to as of the time this report was written.