The Lagos State Government has ramped up its environmental enforcement efforts by demolishing unauthorized structures at the Oko-Oba Abattoir in Agege. This action follows the recent indefinite shutdown of the facility due to severe sanitation breaches.

Tokunbo Wahab, the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, made the announcement on Monday via his official X (formerly Twitter) account. He noted that officials from the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC) carried out the demolition of structures illegally constructed on drainage setbacks within the abattoir.

“As part of our cleanup initiative, operatives from @LAGESCOfficial have begun dismantling unauthorized structures built on drainage paths inside the Oko-Oba Abattoir,” Wahab stated.

He emphasized that the demolition is intended to restore order, promote public hygiene, and prevent potential disease outbreaks by ensuring proper waste disposal and unblocked drainage channels.

The demolition follows the government’s decision to close the abattoir over multiple environmental infractions, such as poor meat handling practices, indiscriminate dumping of animal waste, and encroachment on public drainages.

Speaking during a live television interview on Sunday, Wahab affirmed that the abattoir would remain closed until all operators comply with established hygiene and environmental standards.

“What we witnessed there was disturbing. The facility will not reopen until operators meet basic operational requirements,” he stressed.

He criticized the abattoir’s operators for continuously disregarding regulations, despite years of government engagement and even foreign exposure visits to modern abattoirs.

“We’ve invested in educating them. We even sponsored trips abroad to show them how modern facilities operate, yet they refused to reform. Now, they’ve resorted to slaughtering cows at an abandoned gas station and on the streets,” Wahab lamented.

The commissioner also disclosed that only 10% of the abattoir’s mechanised equipment is in use, while hygiene violations remain rampant.

“Animals roam freely while people sleep in the pens. The stench is overwhelming, damaging public infrastructure. Many nearby residents have fled their homes due to the pollution,” he revealed.

Wahab concluded by warning that the government would not yield to intimidation or religious sentiments aimed at politicising the enforcement actions.