Olusegun Adeyemo
The Lagos State Government, through the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, on Wednesday sealed an illegal slaughter facility operating from a residential compound in the Agege area of the state.
The enforcement action, executed in collaboration with the Kick Against Indiscipline, KAI, unit, followed a credible tip-off from a whistleblower.
Several suspects were arrested for conducting animal slaughter activities under unsafe and unauthorized conditions intended for human consumption.
The operation uncovered the unlicensed abattoir on Succo Road, Oko Oba, directly across from the RRS Barracks and the LASTMA Yard, where the illegal activities had been taking place.
Authorities confiscated meat suspected to be from cows and goats, which was being processed in unhygienic conditions, to prevent its circulation in the Lagos food market.
Officials stated that the operators were in violation of an earlier closure directive placed on the Oko Oba Abattoir and that the activities constituted a major threat to environmental safety and public health in the area.
“This level of disregard for sanitation and public safety will not be accepted in Lagos State,” a spokesperson for the Ministry said.
“Protecting lives and property remains the government’s foremost responsibility, and we will continue to uphold it,” the spokesperson added.
The Ministry reiterated that only approved and sanitary facilities are legally permitted to process and distribute meat within the state.
It warned that illegal slaughter operations undermine food safety and public health standards.
Members of the public were urged to remain watchful and report any suspicious food handling or meat processing operations to relevant agencies.