Officials of the Lagos State Ministry of Environment have arrested a man (identity undisclosed) for converting a residential building in the Iju area of the state into an illegal abattoir.
It was gathered from a statement by the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, on Monday, that the suspect turned his residence, located on Alfred Williams Street, Iju Station, into a slaughterhouse following the closure of the Oko Oba Abattoir, Agege.
The illegal operation said to have been carried out in unhygienic conditions, reportedly endangered residents in the community who raised the alarm.
Wahab, in a post on his X (Twitter), said the property had been sealed and the suspect taken into custody.
Wahab said, “Following reports from a concerned citizen, our enforcement team has taken immediate action at 12, Alfred Williams Street in Iju Station. The property owner had illegally converted his residence into an abattoir following the closure of the Oko Oba Abattoir, endangering the entire neighbourhood through unhygienic practices and profiting from this reckless operation.
“The suspect is now in custody, and the premises have been sealed. This swift response demonstrates our zero-tolerance policy towards all forms of environmental violations, whether in designated facilities or residential areas.”
He commended residents for their vigilance, urging them to continue reporting illegal activities through the designated channels.
“To all Lagosians, your vigilance makes our work possible. Continue reporting illegal activities via designated means,” he added.
It was reported on June 20 that, Wahab, during his visit to the Oko-Oba Abattoir market, announced the indefinite closure.
He stressed that the closure was due to the unsafe and unhygienic practices of traders in the market.
