Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The heaps of refuse lining the major roads of Yola, the Adamawa State capital, have become more than just an eyesore. They are a public health hazard, a traffic nightmare, and a glaring symbol of a government that residents say has abandoned its duty to keep the city clean. Residents have now turned to Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, demanding that he direct the Ministry of Environment and its agencies to clear the mountains of waste that have choked the city's arteries for too long.
Speaking to Arewa PUNCH on Thursday, August 13, 2026, residents painted a grim picture of a capital city slowly being buried under its own filth. Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar described the piles of waste along the Jimeta–Modibbo Adama University road as an embarrassment to the government, particularly because the road leads to the governor’s hometown of Madagali. The irony, he noted, was not lost on the residents: a government that had taken an opposition candidate to court over campaign posters could not clear the heaps of waste that were suffocating the state capital. “This is a government that took the ADC’s former governorship candidate, Alhaji Suleiman Umar, to court over his campaign posters, but cannot clear heaps of waste along major roads in the state capital,” Abubakar said.
Emmanuel Bazza, another resident, issued a stark warning: the refuse is causing accidents on the Jimeta–Modibbo Adama University road every week. “Heaps of waste have taken over one lane of the road, leaving only one lane for vehicles to compete for space, and this is causing accidents every week, without government taking action,” he said. The road, which is a critical artery for commuters, has been reduced to a single lane in some sections, forcing vehicles to jostle for space and creating a dangerous environment for motorists and pedestrians alike.
The residents also accused officials of the Ministry of Environment of focusing their energies on enforcement against opposition posters while neglecting their primary duty of sanitation. “The Ministry of Environment officials are busy harassing opposition parties over posters, but cannot clear the heaps of waste along the roads in the state capital. It is a shame,” another resident lamented. The accusation reflects a growing frustration with a government that appears more concerned with political optics than with addressing the basic needs of its citizens.
The government, however, has defended its crackdown on illegal posters. Governor Fintiri’s press secretary, Humwashi Wonousikou, speaking at a press conference last month, warned politicians to desist from defacing public property or face “the full wrath of the law.” Wonousikou said the law against defacing public property has always applied equally to everyone, regardless of party. He framed the government’s action as a matter of responsibility rather than politics, arguing that no responsible government could spend billions of naira beautifying the city, only to watch those same facilities become canvases for indiscriminate poster campaigns. “Urban renewal is sustained by discipline, civic responsibility and respect for public assets,” he said, vowing that the law “will be enforced without fear or favour.”
The government's position, however, has done little to address the growing environmental crisis. Last month, the Adamawa State Magistrate Court No. 2 fined the African Democratic Congress governorship candidate, Ambassador Umar Suleiman, ₦3 million for placing campaign posters on flyovers and public buildings. The ADC candidate’s campaign team subsequently challenged the government to clear refuse dumps and drainages before complaining about campaign posters. In a statement, the Omarana Campaign Organisation accused the government of reducing governance to political distraction instead of addressing the pressing challenges confronting the people of Adamawa State. “It is equally disappointing that the ministry charged with protecting the environment has, throughout the nearly eight years of the present administration, struggled to provide any semblance of lasting solutions to the persistent challenges of indiscriminate waste disposal, overflowing refuse dumps, poor sanitation, blocked drainage systems, and other environmental concerns that continue to affect communities across Adamawa State,” the statement read.
The environmental crisis in Yola is not limited to the Jimeta–Modibbo Adama University road. In Doubeli, a community around central Jimeta, a notoriously huge garbage dump has become an infamous feature of the landscape, telling an ugly story of environmental untidiness. The dump, which is located near the Doubeli section of the Jimeta By-pass, has a direct linkage with the River Benue. When it rains, floodwaters carry the waste, including plastic materials, into the river, creating a health hazard for communities far beyond Yola. The Yola Renewal Foundation, a non-governmental organisation, has stepped in to address the crisis, but the scale of the problem far exceeds the capacity of any single organisation.
The refuse crisis has also been linked to the flooding that has displaced hundreds of residents in Yola. The Adamawa State Emergency Management Agency (ADSEMA) has attributed the flooding to heavy rainfall, construction on waterways, and indiscriminate dumping of refuse in drainage channels. The agency has appealed to the Federal Government for emergency support, but the underlying problem of waste management remains unresolved.
As the piles of waste continue to grow, the people of Yola are left to wonder when their government will finally take action. The residents have made their position clear: they need the government to clear the heaps of refuse that are choking their roads, causing accidents, and threatening their health. The government’s focus on posters, while ignoring the garbage crisis, has only deepened the residents’ frustration. The question now is whether Governor Fintiri will heed the call of his people or continue to prioritise political battles over the basic welfare of the citizens he was elected to serve.
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