In Lagos, the stench of foul water in gutters are becoming telltale signs of a worsening environmental crime — the illegal discharge of raw sewage into public drains.
From upscale estates in Lekki and Ikoyi to crowded markets in Ikeja, residents and business operators are increasingly bypassing proper waste management, pumping untreated wastewater straight into the streets.
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The Lagos State Wastewater Management Office (LSWMO) has sealed at least nine properties and facilities since April 2025 for such offences, each case revealing a mix of negligence, defiance, and disregard for public health.
From Luxury Homes to Market Toilets
On Saturday, the gates of Myca 7 Court in Van Daniel Estate, Off Orchid Road, Lekki, were padlocked by LSWMO officials. The offence: deliberately pumping sewage into public drains using a machine.
The Lagos State Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, in a statement on X said the act caused “public nuisance, environmental pollution and endangered human life.”
Following public outcry and in pursuant of safe and cleaner Lagos, the Lagos State Wastewater Management Office (LSWMO) this morning sealed-off Myca 7 Court, Van Daniel Estate, Off Orchid Road, Lekki Lagos, for deliberate discharge of sewage into the public drains via pumping… pic.twitter.com/nDcvihYbTV
— Tokunbo Wahab (@tokunbo_wahab) August 9, 2025
This was not an isolated breach. Just over a week earlier, on August 1, the agency sealed Irorun Plaza on Kudirat Abiola Way, Oregun, Ikeja, after its operators ignored an overfilled septic tank and allowed raw sewage to flow freely into drainage channels despite complaints from neighbours.
The Lagos State Wastewater Management Office (LSWMO) @lswmomedia earlier today sealed-off Irorun Plaza on Kudirat Abiola Way, Oregun in Ikeja Local Government Area for polluting the environment with raw sewage discharged into the public drainage system.
The perpetrators… https://t.co/1QuncNMm7f pic.twitter.com/4cy7PeszzS
— Tokunbo Wahab (@tokunbo_wahab) August 1, 2025
Even public facilities meant to serve as sanitary solutions have been caught. On April 10, a public toilet in Ikeja’s Alade Market was sealed for discharging raw sewage into the environment.
The Lagos State Wastewater Management Office (LSWMO) on Thursday 10th April 2025, sealed off a public toilet facility in Alade Market, Ikeja for illegal discharge of raw sewage into the environment and general unsanitary operating environment.
The owners and operators will be… pic.twitter.com/hOLrVok0Fy
— Tokunbo Wahab (@tokunbo_wahab) April 10, 2025
Two days later, a similar toilet at the Amuwo Odofin Shopping Complex in Jakande Estate, Mile 2, was shut down — and five people were arrested for assaulting enforcement officers during the operation.
The Lagos State Wastewater Management Office (LSWMO), today 12th April 2025, sealed off a public toilet facility located within the Amuwo Odofin Shopping Complex at Jakande Estate, Mile 2 for illegal discharge of raw sewage into the environment.
Prior to the sealing off, the… pic.twitter.com/x1XZVt677Z
— Tokunbo Wahab (@tokunbo_wahab) April 12, 2025
Hotels, Homes, and the Quiet Discharge
Enforcement records show that hospitality businesses are not exempt. On April 22, Sun Heaven Hotel in Ikoyi was sealed after laboratory tests confirmed high levels of untreated wastewater being discharged into drains.
The Lagos State Wastewater Management Office (LSWMO) today Tuesday 22nd April, 2025 sealed-off Sun Heaven Hotel, Parkview, Ikoyi, Lagos, for deliberate discharge of untreated wastewater into the public drain due to non functional fat trap and sewage treatment plant. Effluent… pic.twitter.com/0rFCLWSFJN
— Tokunbo Wahab (@tokunbo_wahab) April 22, 2025
Residential offenders have been equally brazen. In June alone, LSWMO shut down a property at No. 59 Ajoke Okusanya Street, Okota, for pumping sewage into public drains, and sealed Tapa House in Surulere for similar reasons.
Lagos State Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources through Lagos State Wastewater Management Office (LSWMO), on Saturday 14th June 2025 sealed off a residential property at No.59, Ajoke Okusanya Street, Off Ago Palace Way, Okota, for pumping raw sewage from the septic… https://t.co/Pymsmv6Dwb pic.twitter.com/9ZNA3ap0XW
— Tokunbo Wahab (@tokunbo_wahab) June 14, 2025
In pursuant of a cleaner, healthy, safe and sustainable environment in the State, the Lagos State Wastewater Management Office (LSWMO) on Wednesday 25th June, 2025, sealed-off Tapa House on Imam Dauda Street, Surulere for polluting the environment with raw sewage discharged into… pic.twitter.com/0aXNZQotNJ
— Tokunbo Wahab (@tokunbo_wahab) June 25, 2025
By the end of the month, inspectors moved to Osborne Foreshore Estate, Ikoyi, where a property on Kebbi Street was shut down for sewage pollution, while Mambilla Estate Gate was sealed for obstructing officials.
In pursuant of safe and cleaner Lagos, the Lagos State Wastewater Management Office (LSWMO) on Monday 30th June, 2025, sealed-off a property on No. 2 Kebbi Street, Osborne Foreshore Estate, Ikoyi, Eti-Osa, for deliberate discharging of raw sewage and wastewater into the public… pic.twitter.com/1Md8Kc6Pym
— Tokunbo Wahab (@tokunbo_wahab) June 30, 2025
Here’s a compact, newspaper-style graphic version of the timeline so it’s quick to scan and visually engaging for print or digital layouts:
🗓 LSWMO SEWAGE DUMPING CRACKDOWN (Apr–Aug 2025)
| Date | Location | Offence | Action Taken |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 10 | Alade Market, Ikeja | Public toilet discharging raw sewage into environment | Facility sealed |
| Apr 12 | Amuwo Odofin, Mile 2 | Public toilet pumping sewage into drains; assault on officials | Facility sealed, 5 arrests |
| Apr 22 | Parkview, Ikoyi | Hotel discharging untreated wastewater; failed sewage plant | Hotel sealed |
| Jun 14 | Okota | Home pumping sewage into drains from septic tank | Property sealed |
| Jun 25 | Surulere | Residential property discharging sewage into public drains | Property sealed |
| Jun 30 | Osborne Foreshore, Ikoyi | Property polluting drains with sewage; obstruction at estate gate | Property & gate sealed |
| Jul 1 | Ojuelegba, Surulere | Home discharging sewage into surroundings and drains | Property sealed |
| Aug 1 | Oregun, Ikeja | Plaza ignoring overfilled septic tank; sewage in drains | Plaza sealed |
| Aug 10 | Lekki | Estate pumping sewage into public drains via machine | Property sealed |
All the closures have been carried out under the Lagos State Environmental Management and Protection Law, 2017, which criminalises the discharge of raw sewage into the environment. The law empowers the state to sanction offenders with fines, prosecute them in court, or both.
“Every act of environmental nuisance and pollution portends grave dangers to public health and will be met with appropriate sanctions and or prosecution,” Wahab has repeatedly warned in his statements.
Yet, the recurrence of these incidents suggests that deterrence is far from guaranteed. Many property owners seem willing to risk penalties rather than invest in functional septic systems, sewage treatment plants, or regular desludging services.
A Threat to Public Health
Environmental experts warn that discharging untreated sewage into drains does more than pollute the environment. It spreads waterborne diseases like cholera, dysentery, and typhoid, contaminates underground water sources, and worsens flooding during heavy rains.
In Lagos, where open drains run alongside roads and past homes, the risk is immediate. Children playing near gutters, food sellers operating beside roadside channels, and commuters wading through flooded streets are all exposed to pathogens from these illegal discharges.
A Pattern That Won’t Go Away Easily
The cases from April to August 2025 show a pattern: high-end properties, busy commercial hubs, and everyday residential buildings alike are resorting to dumping sewage into public drains. Some culprits act out of cost-cutting, others out of ignorance, and a few out of outright disregard for environmental law.
The LSWMO’s challenge is both logistical and cultural: monitoring thousands of properties across the state while changing entrenched attitudes toward wastewater disposal.
As the rainy season progresses, the stakes are only getting higher. For now, the Lagos environment commissioner insists the agency “will not relent” in sealing premises and prosecuting offenders. But until residents embrace proper wastewater management, Lagos risks being swamped by a problem no drain can carry away.
FURTHER READING
Meanwhile, Wahab has enjoined the public to report such pollution nuisances on the LSWMO official line on 08022022397, 07025332163 or through any of its social media handles, @lswmomedia on Instagram and Twitter, and The Lagos State Wastewater Management Office on Facebook.
Philip Ibitoye is a Special Correspondent with EKO HOT BLOG. Click here to find daily analysis and critical insight on trending issues in Lagos and other parts of Nigeria.
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