The Lagos State Government has closed down the popular abattoir market in the Agege area due to unsafe and unhygienic practices, including reports of traders sleeping in the same environment as animals.
The closure, carried out on Thursday, June 20, followed an inspection visit by the state Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab.
He shared details of the enforcement on his official X (formerly Twitter) page.
In a video accompanying the post, Wahab explained that the shutdown was ordered after authorities discovered that individuals were residing within the market premises alongside animals, raising serious public health concerns.
“It’s unacceptable for people to be sleeping in an animal field. The government sent me here, and I have delivered the message. The abattoir is shut until things are done the right way,” Wahab said while addressing the traders.
The Agege abattoir is one of several markets recently sealed by the state for environmental violations.
Earlier this year, on April 11, 2025, the Lagos State Government also shut down 13 markets in Ketu and Mile 12 over repeated violations of waste disposal regulations, contrary to the Lagos State Environmental Management and Protection Law of 2017.
Likewise, in October 2023, the Mile 12 International and Owode Onirin markets were closed for similar environmental infractions.
Commissioner Wahab had stressed that such enforcement actions are necessary to restore sanitation standards and improve public health around key trading areas.
