By Peter Omopo – 17th March, 2025.
The Lagos State Government has sealed several properties, including residential apartments in Lekki, for illegally discharging untreated sewage into public drains in violation of state environmental laws.
The enforcement exercise, conducted on Friday by the Lagos State Wastewater Management Office, targeted facilities found culpable of polluting the environment and endangering public health.
In a statement on Saturday, the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, said six public toilet facilities in Idi-Araba were shut down after investigations confirmed they were habitually channeling raw sewage into drainage systems.
“These perpetrators have been found to be in the habit of committing this illegality instead of engaging accredited sewage desludgers to evacuate their septic tanks,” Wahab stated.
Among the affected facilities were the Patience Diekola Court on Olugborogo Street, Lekki, Eti-Osa, and Brickle Apartment 4 on Fatai Arobieke Street, Lekki. According to Wahab, both properties were sanctioned for deliberately discharging untreated wastewater into public drains.
The commissioner further revealed that the management of Brickle Apartment 4 obstructed officials and denied them access during routine inspections, a violation of the Lagos State Environmental Management and Protection Law, 2017.
Wahab stressed that environmental pollution of any kind posed serious risks to public health and warned that the government would not hesitate to enforce strict sanctions against violators.
“Every form of environmental pollution endangers public health, and perpetrators will be appropriately sanctioned in line with the provisions of the law,” he said.
He urged residents to adopt proper wastewater management practices and engage only accredited sewage desludgers for septic tank evacuation.
“Lagosians are therefore enjoined to embrace proper wastewater management and hygiene practices to safeguard public health and ensure environmental sustainability,” Wahab added.
