The Lagos State Government has intensified its environmental enforcement drive with the demolition of illegal structures at the Oko-Oba Abattoir in Agege, following the indefinite closure of the facility over widespread sanitation violations.
The Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, announced the demolition on Monday in a post via his official X (formerly Twitter) account.
He said the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps led the removal of illegal structures erected along drainage setbacks within the abattoir premises.
“As part of a clean-up exercise, operatives of the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps @LAGESCOfficial commenced the removal of illegal structures built on drainage setbacks inside Oko Oba Abattoir,” Wahab stated.
The move, according to him, is aimed at restoring order, improving hygiene, and preventing the outbreak of diseases by ensuring the free flow of stormwater and proper disposal of abattoir waste.
This enforcement action comes days after the Lagos government ordered the closure of the Oko-Oba Abattoir due to environmental abuses, including the unhygienic handling of meat, indiscriminate dumping of animal waste, and encroachment on public drainage systems.
During a live TV interview on Sunday, Wahab insisted the facility will remain shut until all operators meet the required environmental and hygiene standards.
“The abattoir will remain shut until the operators comply with the minimum standards of operating a decent facility. What we found there was heart-wrenching,” he said.
He decried the persistent disregard for regulations despite repeated government engagements and international exposure trips to model abattoirs.
“We even sponsored visits abroad to see how a modern abattoir operates, but they’ve refused to change.
“Now they’ve taken to slaughtering cows at a nearby abandoned gas station and on the streets,” Wahab said.
The commissioner revealed that only 10% of the abattoir’s mechanised equipment is being utilised, while many operators continue to flout basic hygiene protocols.
Animals are pushed out of the pens while humans sleep inside.
The stench is unbearable, and it’s destroying public infrastructure.
Many residents have vacated their homes because of the pollution,” the commissioner added.
Wahab also warned that the government would not bow to blackmail or religious sentiments aimed at politicising the closure.
