The Lagos State Government has ordered the indefinite closure of the Oko Oba Abattoir in Agege over alleged unhygienic conditions and repeated violations of environmental regulations.
The Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, announced the shutdown on Thursday during an inspection of the facility. Sharing details via his X handle, Wahab stated that the abattoir was sealed due to “unhygienic practices and violations of various environmental laws.”
In a video on Thursday, Wahab addressed workers at the site, saying, “The government sent me here and I am giving you the message — I am going to close it down fully until things are done the right way. People cannot be sleeping in animal pants. It is not going to work. They cannot slaughter animals and discharge waste into public systems. Let us try to do things right.”
This development follows a similar wave of enforcement in April, when the government shut down multiple markets in Ketu and Mile 12 over poor sanitation and illegal waste disposal. Traders and shoppers expressed outrage after task force officials allegedly locked them inside the Mile 12 Market without warning.
Wahab said the actions are part of a broader campaign to enforce the Lagos State Environmental Management and Protection Law of 2017, aimed at promoting public hygiene and urban order.
According to the government, the crackdown is necessary to restore discipline, ensure accountability in public spaces, and protect public health.
Markets previously sealed include:
- Erukan Market, Mile 12
- Oja Oba Market, Ketu
- Owoseni Tundas Market
- Oba Ogunjobi Market, Mile 12
- Shops at BRT Terminal, Mile 12
- Mile 12 Bus Stop Shops
- Ketu Terminal Market (6 plazas)
- Ifesowapo Shop Owners Market, Mile 12
- Demurin Street Plaza Shops, Ketu
- 6 Demurin Road Occupant, Ketu
- Ifelodun Market, Ketu
- Ibadan Unit 1 Park
- Ketu Tipper Garage
The government urged residents and market stakeholders to cooperate with efforts to build a cleaner, safer, and more livable Lagos.