The Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) has stepped up its crackdown on environmental violations, sealing several establishments in the Ifako-Ijaiye and Igando areas for persistent cases of noise and air pollution.
The agency made this known in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday, following an enforcement exercise carried out on Monday.
Among the sealed premises were the Cherubim and Seraphim (King of Kings) Church in Georgius Cole Estate, Ifako-Ijaiye; a fufu-making shop closed for heat and air pollution; and Tyonex Nigeria Limited, located along LASU–Isheri Road, Igando, for causing environmental nuisance.
LASEPA’s General Manager, Babatunde Ajayi, said the enforcement exercise was conducted to safeguard public health and restore environmental order in the state.
Ajayi noted that the agency had received multiple complaints from residents about the church’s excessive noise despite previous warnings.
He ”specifically frowned at the Cherubim and Seraphim Church operating illegally within a residential Georgius Cole Estate, Ifako Ijaye, with several complaints of unabated noise infractions brought against the Church by the residents.”
He further cautioned that while freedom of worship is recognized, it must not infringe on the rights and well-being of others.
“As much as there is freedom of worship in the State, no individual or association is allowed to infringe on the fundamental rights of others or impact negatively on the health of other neighbours in the name of religious activities,” Ajayi added.
The LASEPA boss reiterated the agency’s zero-tolerance stance on all forms of pollution.
In a related development, PUNCH Online earlier reported that the Lagos State Government sealed the sewage and wastewater treatment facility of Yaba College of Technology for allegedly discharging raw sewage into the environment. The enforcement was carried out by the Lagos State Wastewater Management Office, under the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, after the institution ignored several warning letters.