Yemi Olakitan 
The Lagos State Government has ordered the immediate closure of the Oko-Oba Abattoir in Agege, Agege Local Government Area, following multiple environmental violations and unsafe operational practices that officials said threaten public health and safety.
Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab, disclosed the decision during an inspection tour of the facility yesterday.
The visit was prompted by petitions from the public and the state’s Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, which raised concerns over worsening environmental degradation at the site.
“What we saw today is deeply disturbing,” Wahab told reporters. “Humans are living in tents meant for animals, waste from slaughtered animals is discharged directly into public drainage, and the operators have flouted every existing regulation.”
Wahab said the abattoir, a major meat processing hub for the state, had become an environmental hazard due to the lawless behavior of its operators.
He stressed that the state would take “drastic, firm, and decisive action” to enforce compliance with minimum operational standards before any reopening is considered.
He added that the Ministry of Environment is coordinating with the Ministry of Agriculture and agencies such as the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) and the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) to implement stricter over – sight and enforcement at the facility.
“This is not about one ministry. We are one government. There are clear regulations for operating abattoirs in Lagos. Anyone who defies them will face full enforcement,” Wahab said.
During a stop at Jonathan Coker Road in the same Agege area, Wahab also condemned the vandalism of public infrastructure, revealing that some individuals were found removing iron rods from state-funded bridges and drainage systems.
“These infrastructures cost the government millions. We cannot afford to build and then turn around to police every inch of it every day,” he said.
Wahab called on Community Development Associations (CDAs) to take greater responsibility for their environments. He specifically urged local CDA chairmen to protect their neighborhoods against degradation and infrastructure abuse.
