THE Lagos State Government has ordered the immediate closure of the Oko-Oba Abattoir in Agege over gross environmental violations, including poor sanitation, improper waste disposal, and unhygienic meat handling practices.
This directive was issued by the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, during an inspection tour of the facility alongside members of the press.
Wahab revealed that the ministry acted following a petition from the Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture, which raised alarm over persistent health and environmental infractions at the abattoir.
“What we witnessed today is heart-wrenching. The operators have chosen to defy the law, slaughtering animals and discharging untreated waste directly into public drainage systems with impunity,” Wahab said.
He further alleged that animal waste was being funneled through public drainage into the “Harmony” section of the facility and even discharged into another nearby business, Forth-Walt Farm on Wasiu Olaife Street.
The commissioner emphasized that such unsanitary practices pose serious health and environmental risks and will no longer be tolerated by the state government.
“There are laws governing abattoir operations in Lagos State. Wastewater and animal blood must be processed through proper treatment plants—not dumped into drains,” Wahab warned. “If nothing is done immediately, the situation at Oko-Oba is a disaster waiting to happen.”
The government has now launched a joint enforcement operation involving multiple agencies, including the Ministries of Environment and Agriculture, the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), and Lagos State Wastewater Management Office (LASWMO).
Wahab also took the opportunity to visit Adetola Canal along Jonathan Coker Street in Iju, where parts of the infrastructure had been vandalised.
He called on local Community Development Associations (CDAs) to take responsibility for safeguarding public infrastructure, warning that the government alone cannot provide and police these assets.
He urged residents to cooperate by paying for PSP waste services and avoiding illegal waste disposal through unregistered operators and cart pushers.
“This is a collective responsibility. We must all do our part to maintain a clean, safe, and sustainable Lagos,” the commissioner said.