Lagos Shuts Five Companies, Oil Bunkering Hideout over Environment Issues

The Lagos State Government has shut down five companies, an oil bunkering joint and several shops across the state for degrading the environment.

Officials of the Zero Tolerance Department, Ministry of the Environmen stormed several areas in the state to enforce the closure.

At Anthony area, Bertola Machine Tool Limited was shut down for degrading the environment with heavy duty equipment stationed along the road. The company was shut after it failed to comply with the notice served him by the Environment Ministry.
At Jibowu area, two travelling bus companies were shut down for degrading the environment. They are Bonway Motors Nigeria Limited and Ifesinachi Motor Industry Nigeria Limited.

While Bonway Motors was shut for allowing vehicles to park and load on walkway and roadside, Ifesinachi was shut for deliberate channelization of human faeces into drainage channel. The company has a machine which it used in pumping the faeces right into the drainage channel. After failing to comply with the abatement notice served, the company was shut down.

At Ballet area on Oshodi-Apapa expressway, a car dealer company and Transglobal Logistics Company, dealing in caterpillars and other heavy duty equipment were shutdown. The two companies parked their vehicles on the walkways and did not abate the nuisance after they were served, leading to their being shutdown.

At Ijesha area, three shops dealing in chemicals were also sealed as the shops were sited on road setback. A cabin on road setback and some shanties at Mile 2 area were also sealed.

An illegal oil bunkering joint along Lacasera Road, Alaba was shut down for environmental degradation. The illegal bunkering joint has total degraded the environment with diesel and fuel. Over five shops behind the bunkering joint were also sealed for not complying with the environmental laws of the state.

At Eric Moore, Surulere, a mast belonging to Glo Nigeria Company was shut, while in Ikate, about eight shops were sealed. The eight shops sealed were fond of displaying their wares on the gutter, thus, emptying their waste into the gutter.

Commissioner for the Environment, Tunji Bello had warned that the government would no longer tolerate illegal activities of people degrading the environment, vowing to shut down any shop, company and others that breached the environmental laws of the state.

According to him, the affected places shut were duly notified to abate the nuisance to their environment but that they did not comply, which led to their closure until they comply.