{"id":3324,"date":"2026-10-29T13:48:36","date_gmt":"2026-10-29T13:48:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/globalnigerianews.com\/index.php\/2026\/10\/29\/lagos-threatens-to-seal-illegal-boreholes-prosecute-operators-without-permits\/"},"modified":"2026-10-29T13:48:36","modified_gmt":"2026-10-29T13:48:36","slug":"lagos-threatens-to-seal-illegal-boreholes-prosecute-operators-without-permits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/globalnigerianews.com\/index.php\/2026\/10\/29\/lagos-threatens-to-seal-illegal-boreholes-prosecute-operators-without-permits\/","title":{"rendered":"Lagos Threatens to Seal Illegal Boreholes, Prosecute Operators Without Permits"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The Lagos State Government has threatened to seal illegal boreholes and prosecute operators who extract groundwater without the required permits.<\/p>\n<p>The Lagos State Water Regulatory Commission (LASWARCO) issued the warning in a statement from its Executive Secretary, Barr. Oluwabukola Khadijah Adeyemo.<\/p>\n<p>The government said the directive is intended to strengthen groundwater regulation, protect public health and ensure the sustainable management of the state\u2019s water resources.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Lagos Threatens to Seal Illegal Boreholes<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>LASWARCO has reiterated that all prospective borehole drillers and groundwater abstractors must obtain the necessary permits before commencing operations across Lagos State.<\/p>\n<p>The commission said it had observed with grave concern the unauthorised and indiscriminate drilling of boreholes and groundwater abstraction without the requisite permits and approvals.<\/p>\n<p>Adeyemo condemned the practice, warning that the commission would take enforcement action against operators who flout the regulations.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>\u201cEvery unregulated borehole endangers our collective future and compromises the sustainability of our environment. All intending drillers and abstractors must obtain the necessary permits from LASWARCO,\u201d<\/em> Adeyemo said.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>She added that the commission would not hesitate to seal any facility found operating in violation of the directive and prosecute offenders.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>LASWARCO Cites Groundwater Contamination Risks<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>Adeyemo said LASWARCO is statutorily mandated under the Lagos State Environmental Management and Protection Law, 2017, to regulate borehole drilling, groundwater abstraction and water supply services across the state.<\/p>\n<p>She warned that unregulated groundwater extraction could pose serious risks to residents and the environment.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The commission said unauthorised borehole drilling and groundwater abstraction could expose residents to public health risks.<\/li>\n<li>It warned that poorly regulated activities could contribute to groundwater contamination.<\/li>\n<li>Adeyemo also identified land subsidence and threats to the long-term water security of millions of Lagos residents as major concerns.<\/li>\n<li>She stressed that drilling boreholes or abstracting groundwater without LASWARCO\u2019s authorisation is illegal and punishable under the law.<\/li>\n<li>The government said effective regulation of groundwater resources is necessary to protect the environment and ensure the sustainability of water supplies across Lagos.<\/li>\n<li>Adeyemo called on residents, community leaders and other stakeholders to support the enforcement drive by reporting illegal borehole drilling and groundwater abstraction.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Residents can report violations to LASWARCO via its hotline on 0816 878 2223 or visit its office at Block 19, 3rd Floor, Lagos State Secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja.<\/p>\n<p>The Lagos State Government had earlier, in August 2022, commenced the regulation of access to underground water as part of efforts to manage groundwater resources and prevent pollution.<\/p>\n<p>The government said the initiative was necessary to strengthen oversight of borehole drilling, groundwater abstraction, consumption, supply and distribution to ensure effective management and long-term sustainability.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>What you should know<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>In August 2025, the <a href=\"https:\/\/nairametrics.com\/2025\/08\/06\/lagos-says-all-those-drilling-borehole-in-lekki-axis-are-probably-drinking-shit-water\/\">state government<\/a> also warned that residents drilling boreholes in the Lekki axis could be exposed to contaminated water.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The warning was issued by Mahmood Adegbite, Permanent Secretary in the Office of Drainage Services and Water Resources, during a stakeholders\u2019 meeting.<\/li>\n<li>Adegbite said contaminated boreholes in Lekki posed health risks to residents. He added that treating wastewater in the area could help prevent diseases associated with untreated waste.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The latest warning reinforces the state government\u2019s position that groundwater extraction must be regulated to reduce contamination risks and protect residents\u2019 access to safe water.<\/p>\n<p>Source: <\/p>\n<div class=\"nSourse\">Nairametrics<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Lagos State Government has threatened to seal illegal boreholes and prosecute operators who extract groundwater without the required permits. The Lagos State Water Regulatory Commission (LASWARCO) issued the warning&hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3324","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-business"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalnigerianews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3324","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalnigerianews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalnigerianews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalnigerianews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalnigerianews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3324"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/globalnigerianews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3324\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalnigerianews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3324"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalnigerianews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3324"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalnigerianews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3324"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}