Environmental degradation: Lagos seals bank, brothel, three buildings

The Lagos State Government has sealed a commercial bank (name withheld), brothel and three houses and four shops in the state over environmental degradation.
Also, four persons were arrested after they broke the seal on the structures and for assaulting the state government’s officials who came to enforce the closure.
Officials of the Zero Tolerance Department of the  State Ministry of the Environment carried out the enforcement, escorted by policemen attached to the State Taskforce on Environmental and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit, stormed Alimosho Local Government to enforce the closure order.
According to the state government, the order to seal was in “pursuant to section 8 (2) Cap. 25 Vol. 6 Lagos State law of 2003. And section 93 (3) of the national Environmental health service regulation 2007.”
The commercial bank located at Dopemu Agege axis was sealed for allegedly for staff and visitors vehicles being parked on the walkways, a nuisance that did not abate after they were served, leading to their being shut down. Also, four shops were sealed for their owners displaying their wares on the drainage and emptying their waste into the gutter.
At Iyana-Ipaja, Morning Star, a brothel, and the structure at 142 and 144 Egbeda-Idimu Road and 11 Church close, Iyana-Ipaja were shut  for alleged discharge of human faeces into drainage channel.
The enforcement team led by Mr. Fatai Lawal, Head of the Zero Tolerance, Alimosho Local Government said that the team was out to enforce a court order.
Lawal lamented: “The occupants and owners of the structure discharge their liquid waste into the drainage. Some have damaged soak away which has led to pollution of the water on the street.”
According to him: “We have five houses that we have served series of notice over their poor sanitation issues. We served them abatement notice but they did not comply. After several days, the state government applied for court summons. After receiving it, the owners and the occupants of the structures were served. And rather than comply, they continued with their poor sanitation act. We applied for sealing order from the court. And it was granted by the court.
“For them to have their houses re-opened, they will have to appear before the court before their property could be opened. They do not need to pay money to anyone. All they need to do is to appear before the court. The court will decide the appropriate action to take,” he added.
The bank was later re-opened on the order of a Magistrate Court, following assurance to comply with the environmental law failure of which further sanction would be meted out.