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The Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) has stepped up enforcement against environmental offenders, sealing several establishments in Ifako-Ijaiye and Igando for persistent noise and air pollution. The agency disclosed the action in a post on X on Tuesday following an enforcement operation. Among the facilities shut down were the Cherubim and Seraphim (King of Kings) Church in Georgius Cole Estate, Ifako-Ijaiye, a fufu-making shop closed for excessive heat and air pollution, and Tyonex Nigeria Limited on LASU–Isheri Road, Igando, sealed for creating environmental nuisance. LASEPA General Manager Babatunde Ajayi explained that the operations formed part of ongoing efforts to protect public health and maintain environmental order in Lagos. He noted that multiple complaints had been received from residents about the church’s activities despite prior warnings. Ajayi said, “We specifically frowned at the Cherubim and Seraphim Church operating illegally within a residential estate, despite several complaints of unabated noise brought against it by residents.” While acknowledging the constitutional right to freedom of worship, he emphasized that such freedom must not infringe on the rights of others or compromise public health. “As much as there is freedom of worship in the state, no individual or group is permitted to violate the fundamental rights of others or impact negatively on their health in the name of religious activities,” he stated. The General Manager reaffirmed LASEPA’s zero-tolerance approach to pollution, noting that enforcement would continue across the state. He also recalled a recent operation where the Lagos State Government sealed the sewage and wastewater treatment facility of Yaba College of Technology for allegedly discharging untreated sewage into the environment after ignoring repeated warnings from the Lagos State Wastewater Management Office. Ajayi urged residents and organizations to comply with environmental laws, stressing that the state’s commitment to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment remains non-negotiable.
