On Friday, June 20, 2025, the Lagos State Government ordered the closure of the Oko-Oba Abattoir in Agege due to unsanitary practices, improper waste management, and unhygienic handling of animal products. The directive came from Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources Tokunbo Wahab following an inspection with media, prompted by a petition from the Ministry of Agriculture highlighting environmental and health violations at the facility.
Wahab described the abattoir’s conditions as “heart-wrenching,” accusing operators of illegally discharging animal waste, including blood and wastewater, into public drainage systems, notably affecting the “Harmony” area and a nearby company, Forth-Walt Farm on Wasiu Olaife Street. He stressed that such actions violate Lagos State’s environmental laws, which mandate that abattoir waste be processed through treatment plants, not dumped into public drains. “The operators have defied regulations with impunity, and this is unacceptable,” Wahab stated, warning that unchecked conditions could lead to a “catastrophe.”
The closure will be enforced by a joint operation involving the Ministries of Environment and Agriculture, LASEPA, LASWMO, and LAWMA. Wahab emphasized that the government will not tolerate environmental degradation and insisted operators meet the state’s minimum standards, rejecting their attempts to “blackmail” authorities.
During the inspection, Wahab also visited Adetola Canal by Jonathan Coker Street in Iju, where vandals had damaged iron reinforcements. He urged Community Development Associations (CDAs) to protect public infrastructure, stating, “The government cannot provide and police everything.” Additionally, he advised residents to use licensed PSP waste operators and avoid illegal cart pushers to ensure proper waste disposal.
On Friday, June 20, 2025, the Lagos State Government ordered the closure of the Oko-Oba Abattoir in Agege due to unsanitary practices, improper waste management, and unhygienic handling of animal products. The directive came from Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources Tokunbo Wahab following an inspection with media, prompted by a petition from the Ministry of Agriculture highlighting environmental and health violations at the facility.
Wahab described the abattoir’s conditions as “heart-wrenching,” accusing operators of illegally discharging animal waste, including blood and wastewater, into public drainage systems, notably affecting the “Harmony” area and a nearby company, Forth-Walt Farm on Wasiu Olaife Street. He stressed that such actions violate Lagos State’s environmental laws, which mandate that abattoir waste be processed through treatment plants, not dumped into public drains. “The operators have defied regulations with impunity, and this is unacceptable,” Wahab stated, warning that unchecked conditions could lead to a “catastrophe.”
The closure will be enforced by a joint operation involving the Ministries of Environment and Agriculture, LASEPA, LASWMO, and LAWMA. Wahab emphasized that the government will not tolerate environmental degradation and insisted operators meet the state’s minimum standards, rejecting their attempts to “blackmail” authorities.
During the inspection, Wahab also visited Adetola Canal by Jonathan Coker Street in Iju, where vandals had damaged iron reinforcements. He urged Community Development Associations (CDAs) to protect public infrastructure, stating, “The government cannot provide and police everything.” Additionally, he advised residents to use licensed PSP waste operators and avoid illegal cart pushers to ensure proper waste disposal.
