Over 352 Churches, Mosques, Others Sealed In Lagos

The Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) on Tuesday, disclosed that its officials sealed more than 352 facilities, including churches and mosques, across various areas of the state over the past year due to environmental violations and noise pollution.

During a press briefing in his office in Ikeja, the General Manager of LASEPA, Dr. Babatunde Ajayi, expressed concern regarding residents’ lack of adherence to regulations.

He noted that a significant issue with noise pollution is that, following enforcement actions, compliance is temporary; soon after, individuals revert to their previous disruptive behaviours.

Ajayi disclosed this as he presented a one-year report on his administration.

The LASEPA general manager added: “Then we start the process again. The reason we have them to comply for a while is because they pay fines, and we shut them down.

“There is no city in the world that does not leverage fines and penalties for violations. There must be consequences for actions.

“It’s not only Nigeria’s problem, it is global. People tend to go back to bad behaviour.

“The use of microphones also at bus stops and religious houses a primary concern. Even Christian worshippers come out with loudspeakers and microphones to preach in public.

“For noise pollution, the religious sector takes the highest because there is little or no control in terms of how you can set up religious houses according to our current regulations.

“It takes a strong-willed policy to have that in control. In Nigeria today, some churches want to have two branches on a street or Mosques.

“We have had conversations with representatives of religious houses about why noise pollution is a bad idea and why they need to maintain less than 60 decibels for decorum during service, and the danger they are causing to the public as well as themselves. We do this engagement regularly.”