The Kwara State Environmental Protection Agency (KWEPA) has sealed a residential building in Adabata, Ilorin West Local Government Area, over alleged violations of environmental laws. The property, located at Alagbede Compound, Ita-Elefun, Adabata, was closed at approximately 2:00pm on Friday for environmental infractions.

A statement by KWEPA's Press Secretary, Jamiu Amode, released to the media on Sunday, detailed the enforcement action. The agency's Acting General Manager, Idayat Adeola - who was represented by Sanitarian Abigail Are during the operation - explained that the building was sealed after a community member reported residents were discharging human waste into the environment through a defective soakaway.

KWEPA warned that the soakaway's leakage, if left unaddressed, could lead to disease outbreaks, posing serious health risks to residents in the area.

"The act of the occupants of the house is very dangerous to the health of inhabitants of the area, adding that the decision to seal off the house was to enforce compliance with the environmental laws and prevent the community from the epidemic, due to the carelessness of the occupants of the building."

She said the act of the occupants is liable to cause infectious diseases such as cholera contrary to the provision of health and environmental law and urged the general public to complement government efforts in the fight against open defecation in order to prevent outbreak of diseases, the statement said.

It would be recalled that the state government had advised landlords in the state to provide toilet facilities in their houses in an effort to stop open defecation in the state.