Officials of the Lagos State Wastewater Management Office have sealed a facility belonging to Access Bank Plc in Oniru, Lagos, over the discharge of untreated waste into the public drainage system, which allegedly caused significant environmental damage.
It was also reported that security personnel and management representatives of the bank obstructed the enforcement team and allegedly assaulted officials during an attempt to seal the premises.
The State Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, disclosed the incident on Wednesday via his X (formerly Twitter) account.
According to him, the enforcement action followed a whistleblower complaint, which prompted an inspection of the bank’s facility in Oniru, Victoria Island.
He stated that the inspection revealed a non-functional wastewater treatment plant, leading to the discharge of untreated faecal matter into public drainage channels.
Wahab further noted that officials were denied access to carry out enforcement, and the situation escalated into an attack on government personnel. Despite this, samples of the discharged effluent were collected and tested, with results reportedly confirming contamination.
The state government has announced plans to initiate legal proceedings to secure the arrest and prosecution of those involved in the alleged assault on officials. Enforcement officers are also expected to return, with reinforcement, to seal the facility in accordance with environmental regulations.
The Commissioner emphasized that there will be strict enforcement of environmental laws, stating that no individual or organization will be exempt from accountability.
