By Boluwatife Adedokun
Affected coastal communities in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State are set to converge on Ehinmore on Saturday, September 5, 2026, to demand justice, reparations and sustainable remediation of the environmental challenges confronting the area.
The gathering, organised by the Coalition of Ilaje Ravaged Communities (CIRC), is expected to bring together residents from affected coastal communities for what the coalition described as a major assembly for sensitisation, solidarity and advocacy.
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In a statement signed by Comr. Akingboye Thompson Omoyele, General Coordinator, Coalition of Ilaje Ravaged Communities, the group said the assembly was convened to draw attention to the “protracted plight” of Ilaje coastal communities and demand concrete action from relevant authorities.
Omoyele said the communities had endured what the coalition described as “systemic environmental degradation, economic dispossession, and institutional neglect” for decades, adding that the situation had affected the waterways and livelihoods of residents.
“Our waterways have been compromised, our livelihoods eroded, and our collective future imperiled,” the statement said.
According to the coalition, the assembly will provide a platform to amplify the concerns of affected residents and strengthen unity among coastal communities facing environmental and socio-economic challenges.
The group also said the gathering would be a declaration of its resolve that Ilaje coastal communities “will no longer be marginalized or forgotten.”
The coalition called on youth and women groups, as well as other well-meaning citizens, to participate in the assembly scheduled to take place at Ehinmore Community.
It said its demands were centred on justice and concrete intervention rather than sympathy or promises.
“Our Message is Clear: We seek not sympathy, but justice. We demand not promises, but action. We insist not on pity, but on our inalienable rights,” the coalition said.
The group added: “Ilaje Coastal Communities Deserve Justice. Ilaje Deserves Restoration.”
The assembly is expected to further articulate the demands of the affected communities and draw public attention to their concerns over environmental degradation and the erosion of livelihoods in the coastal area.
