The Lagos State Wastewater Management Office (LSWMO) has sealed a three-storey residential building located in Ilasan, Lekki Peninsula II, within the Eti-Osa Local Government Area, for deliberately discharging untreated wastewater and faecal matter into public drains using a pumping machine.
The action was announced via an official statement on the Lagos State Government’s Facebook page, following a complaint received from a whistleblower. The report revealed that the building’s occupants were using a pumping machine to discharge hazardous waste at night into nearby roads, drains, and even the lagoon—posing severe health risks to residents and violating environmental laws.
In its statement, the LSWMO emphasized its unwavering commitment to ensuring credible and sustainable wastewater management in Lagos. “The Lagos State Wastewater Management Office (LSWMO) has continued to demonstrate its dedication to ensuring credible and sustainable wastewater management with the clampdown on a three-storey residential building at Ilasan Lekki Peninsula II for the deliberate discharge of untreated wastewater and faecal matter into public drains through the use of a pumping machine,” the agency noted.
How It Was Discovered
The illegal activity was brought to light through a tip-off from a concerned whistleblower. The agency confirmed that the pumping machine was used at night to conceal the environmental offense, thereby exposing the public to serious health hazards such as waterborne and communicable diseases.
“The environmental nuisance was discovered through a complaint received from a whistleblower. The pumping machine, used at night, pollutes the environment by discharging untreated wastewater onto roads, drains, and into the lagoon,” the LSWMO stated.
The General Manager of LSWMO praised the whistleblower’s courage and urged other Lagosians to support the government’s environmental protection efforts. He encouraged residents to report similar infractions, assuring the public that all complaints would be treated with the utmost confidentiality.
The LSWMO is the principal agency overseeing wastewater regulation in Lagos, with a mandate to manage sewage generation, collection, transportation, treatment, and safe disposal. Its goal is to ensure proper treatment of wastewater before it is released into the environment to safeguard public health and prevent pollution.
This recent enforcement follows similar actions earlier in the year. In February, Block N at Ebute-Ero Market was sealed for illegal sewage disposal and unsafe septic tank construction. Illegal public toilets and bathrooms along Coastal Road in Ikate were also shut down for constituting environmental nuisances. In another high-profile case, Mega Plaza on Breadfruit Street, Lagos Island, was closed for nighttime discharge of untreated wastewater via a pumping machine.
The LSWMO reiterated its zero-tolerance stance on environmental violations and reaffirmed its commitment to protecting the health and safety of all Lagosians.