The Lagos State Government has sealed off some facilities, including residential apartments in Lekki, for discharging untreated sewage into public drains, which violates the state’s environmental laws.
The enforcement was carried out on Friday by the Lagos State Wastewater Management Office. It targeted properties and public facilities that were found polluting the environment and endangering public health.
In a statement on Saturday, the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, confirmed that six public toilet facilities in Idi-Araba were shut down. Investigations showed they had been releasing raw sewage directly into public drainage systems.
“These perpetrators were in the habit of doing this illegality instead of using accredited sewage desludgers to empty their septic tanks,” Wahab explained.
He also said that Patience Diekola Court on Olugborogo Street, Lekki, Eti-Osa, and Brickle Apartment 4 on Fatai Arobieke Street, Lekki, were sealed for the same offence.
According to him, these facilities deliberately discharged untreated wastewater into public drains.
In the case of Brickle Apartment 4, Wahab revealed that the management also broke the law by preventing government officials from entering during routine inspections.
He stressed that both actions violated the Lagos State Environmental Management and Protection Law of 2017.
The commissioner warned that environmental pollution of any kind poses serious risks to public health and would not be tolerated.
He assured residents that anyone found disobeying environmental laws would face strict punishment.
“Every form of pollution endangers public health, and offenders will be punished according to the law,” Wahab said.
He urged Lagos residents to adopt proper wastewater management practices and avoid actions that threaten hygiene and safety.
Finally, Wahab appealed to residents to always use accredited sewage desludgers when evacuating septic tanks, reminding them that protecting the environment is a shared responsibility.
“Lagosians should embrace proper wastewater management and hygiene to safeguard health and ensure a sustainable environment,” he added.
