The Lagos State Government through its Wastewater Management Office (LSWMO) has clamped down on three residential properties in the Ijeshatedo area of Surulere, sealing them off for repeatedly discharging untreated wastewater and faecal matter into the environment, actions that have generated persistent foul odours and posed serious public health and environmental risks to the surrounding community.
The building situated at No. 73, No. 98, and No. 102 Ijikoyejo Street were targeted after exhaustive monitoring and verification confirmed unabated violations, including the overflow of a failed septic tank at one location and the deliberate release of raw sewage that turned the neighborhood into a breeding ground for disease vectors and intolerable stench
The enforcement operations were carried out on Thursday, along Ijikoyejo Street in Ijeshatedo, Surulere, Lagos, primarily to address longstanding public complaints about offensive odours and hazardous wastewater practices that remained unresolved despite prior warnings, prompting the state to invoke its zero-tolerance policy on environmental infractions.
Specifically, the property at No. 73 Ijikoyejo Street was sealed for unabated discharge of untreated wastewater into the environment and persistent foul odour, while the neighbouring No. 102 was shut down following multiple public complaints that highlighted the continued release of untreated wastewater coupled with the overwhelming offensive odour emanating from a malfunctioning and overflowing septic tank.
Similarly, the building at No. 98 Ijikoyejo Street faced the same fate for openly discharging untreated wastewater and faecal matter directly into the surroundings, thereby constituting a blatant public nuisance and creating significant health and environmental hazards that endangered residents and passers-by alike.
The Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, on Thursday, urged the public to take immediate responsibility for their sanitation infrastructure.
“We are using this medium to urge residents to maintain their wastewater systems and uphold proper hygiene practices as violators will be sanctioned and or prosecuted,” the commissioner stated, emphasizing the administration’s unwavering commitment to a cleaner and healthier Lagos, with the slogan of #ZeroToleranceLagos.
The seals will remain in place until the owners demonstrate full compliance through proper remediation, regular maintenance of septic systems, and cessation of all illegal discharges, as the state government vows to sustain its aggressive enforcement to eliminate environmental pollution across the metropolis.
