The Lagos State Wastewater Management Office (LSWMO) has sealed two estates in the Eti-Osa area for illegally discharging untreated wastewater into public drains and the environment.
The affected estates are EMCEL Court Phase I and Well Stock Apartments in Ikota GRA, Eti-Osa.
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Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, disclosed the enforcement action in a post on his X handle on Monday.
He said investigations showed that the facilities were deliberately releasing untreated wastewater, which constituted a public nuisance, polluted the environment, and endangered human health.
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“The Lagos State Wastewater Management Office (LSWMO), on Monday, 8 September 2025, sealed off EMCEL Court Phase I and Well Stock Apartments, both on Lantana Avenue, Ikota GRA, Eti-Osa, Lagos, for deliberate discharge of wastewater into public drains and the environment, thereby causing public nuisance, environmental pollution and endangering human life,” Mr Wahab wrote.
He urged residents to adopt proper wastewater management and hygiene practices, stressing that these were essential for maintaining a safe and healthy environment across the state.
Enforcement drive
The sealing forms part of the state government’s crackdown on environmental pollution and poor sanitation.
Over the past year, several establishments — including churches, hotels, and industrial facilities in Ikeja, Mushin, Gbagada, and Maryland — have been shut for violating environmental regulations.
On 1 September, LSWMO sealed a residential property on Apongbon Street, Lagos Island, for releasing faeces into public drains, days after residents of Jakande Estate Gate, Oke Afa, raised alarm over heaps of refuse on their estate road.
Also, the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) arrested 40 people along Ozumba Mbadiwe Road and Lekki for illegal dumping and related infractions.
On 30 August, another eight persons were apprehended on the Lekki-Epe Expressway for dumping refuse at unauthorised sites.
Mr Wahab said all offenders would be prosecuted in line with the law.
“Lagosians are enjoined to embrace proper waste and wastewater management and hygiene practices to enhance public health and environmental sustainability. We will not allow lawlessness to undermine environmental safety in the state,” Mr Wahab stated.
In June, officials sealed a property at No. 59, Ajoke Okusanya Street, Okota, after it was found to be channeling raw sewage from a septic tank into public drains.
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In September 2024, the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) closed down several facilities, including Vital Products Limited, Polite Anchorage and Suites, and 7th Heaven Hotel & Suites, for similar offences.
Major markets such as Mile 12, Ladipo, and Oyingbo were also temporarily shut until operators met sanitary requirements, while some restaurants and hotels have faced sanctions for discharging waste into public drains.
Residents’ concerns
Some residents of Isolo have called for the clampdown to extend to their community. A vulcaniser, Kazeen Balogun, told the Punch Newspaper.
“We have complained for a long time. If LAWMA can arrest people in Lekki, they should also come here. The odour we inhale every day is a big risk,” he said.
Another resident, Olayemi Abiodun, urged stricter monitoring of the Jakande Estate Gate to deter outsiders who regularly dump refuse there.
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