Officials of the Lagos State Ministry of Environment have arrested a man (identity undisclosed) for converting a residential building in the Iju area of the state into an illegal abattoir.

PUNCH Metro gathered from a statement by the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, on Monday, that the suspect turned his residence, located on Alfred Williams Street, Iju Station, into a slaughterhouse following the closure of the Oko Oba Abattoir, Agege.

The illegal operation said to have been carried out in unhygienic conditions, reportedly endangered residents in the community who raised the alarm.

Wahab, in a post on his X (Twitter), said the property had been sealed and the suspect taken into custody.

Wahab said, “Following reports from a concerned citizen, our enforcement team has taken immediate action at No. 12, Alfred Williams Street in Iju Station. The property owner had illegally converted his residence into an abattoir following the closure of the Oko Oba Abattoir, endangering the entire neighbourhood through unhygienic practices and profiting from this reckless operation.

“The suspect is now in custody, and the premises have been sealed. This swift response demonstrates our zero-tolerance policy towards all forms of environmental violations, whether in designated facilities or residential areas.