The Lagos State Government has issued a final 24-hour warning to traders at the Alabarago Market to comply with environmental regulations or risk immediate closure.
Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, issued the warning on Sunday during an inspection tour across key areas of the state, including Idi-Araba, Orile-Iganmu, and Alabarago.
“We have been to Alabarago before, sometime last year, and we had to seal the market for them to do the right thing,” Wahab told journalists. “Unfortunately, we may have to tread that path again, but by tomorrow evening, we will determine if we should or we shouldn’t.”
According to Wahab, the market had previously been shut down due to environmental infractions. He expressed disappointment that traders had now turned the location into an unauthorised dumping site, blocking drainages and encroaching onto the roads.
“They now turn the place into a waste system point to dump their waste,” he said. “They turned the market, pushed it to the road, and blocked all the drainage systems and alignments.”
He confirmed that market leaders have given assurances to clear the waste and restore order to the area. However, he warned that the government would not hesitate to take enforcement action if the situation remained the same by Monday evening.
“They have agreed that they are going to clear everything, and if they don’t by tomorrow evening, we can now take steps to sanction them,” he stated.
Addressing the broader public ahead of the upcoming Sallah festivities, Wahab urged Lagos residents to take responsibility for their surroundings.
“Keep your environment clean during and after Sallah. Contain your wastes within your system and let the PSP operators come and cart them away for you,” he said. “Let us celebrate responsibly by taking ownership of our environment.”
