The Lagos State Government has sealed a branch of Access Bank Plc located in Oniru, Victoria Island, following the discovery of untreated sewage being discharged into the public drainage system.
The enforcement action was carried out after an investigation by the Lagos State Wastewater Management Office in collaboration with the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps, which uncovered significant environmental violations at the facility.
According to a statement from the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, the intervention followed a whistleblower report that prompted an immediate inspection of the premises.
Wahab disclosed that the bank’s wastewater treatment plant was found to be non-functional, leading to the discharge of untreated faecal matter into public drains, thereby posing serious environmental and public health risks.
Officials of the wastewater agency were initially obstructed during their first visit, as security personnel and representatives of the bank reportedly resisted attempts to seal the premises. However, samples collected from the site were later analysed and confirmed to contain untreated sewage.
Subsequently, the government deployed additional enforcement officers to shut down the facility in line with existing environmental regulations.
The commissioner emphasised that the state would not tolerate any form of environmental violation or obstruction of lawful duties, warning that offenders would face legal consequences.
“There are no sacred cows in the enforcement of environmental regulations. Any individual or organisation found violating environmental laws, regardless of status, will be held accountable,” he stated.
Also speaking, the General Manager of the wastewater agency, Adefemi Afolabi, reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to safeguarding public health and ensuring strict compliance with environmental standards across Lagos State.
He added that monitoring and enforcement efforts would be intensified to prevent future violations.
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