The Lagos State Ministry of Environment and Water Resources have arrested a man for illegally converting his residential property into an abattoir in the Iju area of the state.

The ministry disclosed the development on Monday in a statement by the Commissioner, Tokunbo Wahab.

According to Wahab, the property, located at No. 12 Alfred Williams Street, Iju Station, was being used as a slaughterhouse after the closure of the Oko Oba Abattoir in Agege.

Wahab said the makeshift operation was conducted under unhygienic conditions, posing serious health risks to residents in the area. The illegal activity came to light following complaints from members of the public.

“Following reports from a concerned citizen, our enforcement team took immediate action,” Wahab said in a post on X (formerly Twitter). “The property owner had illegally converted his residence into an abattoir, endangering the entire neighbourhood through unhygienic practices and profiting from this reckless operation.”

He added that the suspect is now in custody and the premises have been sealed. Wahab stressed the state government’s commitment to enforcing environmental laws.

“This swift response demonstrates our zero-tolerance policy towards all forms of environmental violations, whether in designated facilities or residential areas,” he said.