Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Anambra State Government has declared a state of emergency on environmental degradation, announcing sweeping measures that will restrict movement across the state for five hours on Saturday, July 4, as authorities begin a statewide clampdown against blocked drainages, illegal structures and excessive sand mining. The government said the emergency became necessary following what it described as worsening environmental destruction caused by indiscriminate dumping of refuse into drainage channels, construction on waterways, encroachment on drainage corridors and rights of way, as well as uncontrolled sand mining.
This was contained in a public service announcement jointly signed by the Commissioner for Information and Value Reformation, Law Mefor, and the Commissioner for Environment, Clem Aguiyi. "The Anambra State Government, led by Prof. Chukwuma Charles Soludo, has declared a state of emergency because of serious environmental damage, especially from people blocking waterways by dumping trash and other materials in the drains," the statement read. "Others include building on waterways, erection of illegal structures and encroachments on drainage and right of way, as well as excessive sand mining across the state."
According to the statement, the government has directed the immediate cleaning of drainage systems across the state and ordered a clampdown on illegal sand mining, which it blamed for increasing the risk of flooding and gully erosion. "Saturday, July 4, 2026, has been mapped out as the D-Day for the commencement of the statewide desilting and waste evacuation exercise," the statement added. "The exercise will involve markets, transport unions, youths, community leaders, churches, and all residents. To enable the exercise, all communities and businesses will be on lockdown, and movement will be restricted from 6:00 AM to 11:00 AM."
Exemptions apply only to essential services: security agencies, health workers, ambulances, journalists, the fire service, and others on essential duties. The state government also directed developers constructing new buildings to provide mandatory catch pits for proper management of runoff water, in line with existing environmental regulations. The government warned that residents who fail to comply with the new directives or violate environmental laws would face prosecution. "Ndị Anambra are advised to cooperate with the government on this matter, as those who fail to comply will be prosecuted according to existing laws," the statement added.
Governor Soludo had earlier raised the alarm during a meeting with the Anambra State Traditional Rulers' Council, describing erosion and flooding as major environmental challenges confronting the state and noting that a significant proportion of the damage is caused by human activities. He emphasised that Anambra is currently facing a dire environmental tipping point, noting that while the state possesses the second-smallest landmass in Nigeria, it is rapidly shrinking due to ecological disasters. "Let me draw your attention to the emergency that we face: the environment, flooding, and gully erosion. It is Anambra's number one existential threat," Governor Soludo stated. "While Lagos is expanding into the ocean, Anambra is shrinking. Whole communities are being swallowed, and we are battling it."
The governor expressed deep concern over the role of human activity in exacerbating these disasters, citing the common practice of channelling residential run-off water directly onto roads and the deliberate dumping of waste into drainage infrastructure. "We blocked the drainages; there should be a state of emergency in desilting all the drainages. Even people who mine sand contribute to this, because as the sand is being removed, it creates an avenue for erosion," he said.
The Commissioner for Local Government and Community Affairs, Barr. Vin Ezeaka, urged traditional rulers and Presidents-General of various communities to ensure strict compliance with the governor's environmental directives, warning that defaulters would face stiff sanctions, including fines. He added that environmental enforcement officers had been deployed across the state to ensure full compliance with the government's directives.
The development comes amid a broader push by the Anambra State Government to enforce environmental laws across the state, with penalties ranging from ₦20,000 to ₦5 million for offenders. Individual offenders risk fines between ₦20,000 and ₦1 million, while corporate organisations that violate the law could pay between N100,000 and N5 million, with the government warning that anyone caught dropping refuse indiscriminately on roads, expressways, or into drainage will be arrested, prosecuted, and fined.
As the state prepares for the July 4 lockdown, the message from the Soludo administration is clear: the era of environmental impunity is over, and those who continue to endanger the state's ecology will face the full weight of the law.
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