Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Abia State Government, through the Abia State Environmental Protection Agency, has vowed to prosecute the landlord and tenants of a residential building in Aba where more than 100 bags of human faeces were discovered stored inside the premises, in a case that has exposed the depth of the sanitation crisis plaguing Nigeria's commercial hub. The Deputy General Manager of ASEPA, Aba Zone, Okezie Ezengwa, who issued a statement on the sordid discovery on Thursday, August 20, 2026, said the landlord and the tenants had been invited but had gone into hiding. He assured that they would be apprehended and charged to court. The building, located at No. 16 Ibadan Street, Aba, was sealed on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, pursuant to a court order, according to the agency.
The disturbing discovery was made on August 14, 2026, when ASEPA monitoring teams conducted a routine inspection of the compound. Officials found more than 100 bags of human faeces stored within the premises, while four basins containing human excreta were also discovered along a corridor of the building. Even more alarming, ASEPA officials discovered a sewage tank inside one of the downstairs rooms, located directly beneath a bed where occupants reportedly slept daily, despite being allegedly aware of the situation. The agency described the condition as a grave public health risk that could trigger an epidemic if allowed to continue.
Ezengwa disclosed that four nursing mothers were found in the building on the day of the discovery, with babies ranging from two weeks to four months old. The presence of infants in such unsanitary conditions has heightened public outrage and underscored the immediate danger posed to vulnerable residents. Authorities have yet to officially establish the motive for storing such a large quantity of human faeces in the building. However, some residents who commented on ASEPA's social media posts alleged that the faeces were being sold to farmers for about N10,000 per bag for use as manure. ASEPA has not confirmed this allegation or established whether the faeces were intended for agricultural use.
The ASEPA deputy general manager lamented that the agency's monitoring teams were receiving threats to their lives and facing physical attacks in the Aba area from environmental offenders. "We commend the intelligence and commitment of our monitoring members who discovered this grave nuisance and have not relented in their duties, even in the face of threats to life, numerous physical assaults and grave injuries from angry environmental offenders," he stated. The agency said the building would remain sealed until the necessary corrective measures were carried out and verified by ASEPA.
The development comes just days after ASEPA sealed another property in Aba following the deaths of two men during the manual evacuation of an underground septic tank at No. 10 Powerline Street, off Omuma Road. The victims were identified as 39-year-old Bassey Akwaibom and 44-year-old Thompson from Enugu. ASEPA subsequently warned residents that buildings found engaging manual sewage evacuators would be sealed, and warned against emptying or channelling septic waste into public drains and roads, describing the practice as a major threat to public health and stating that offenders could face arrest and prosecution.
The latest enforcement action further underscores ASEPA's renewed campaign against unsafe sewage disposal and poor sanitation practices across Aba, Nigeria's second-largest city and a commercial powerhouse that has long struggled with inadequate waste management infrastructure. The agency urged residents, landlords and property owners to maintain proper sanitation standards and comply with environmental regulations, warning that serious violations would attract enforcement action. ASEPA said the premises would remain sealed until the necessary corrective measures were completed. The agency also called on residents to report similar environmental violations and assured the public that it would take necessary measures to protect public health in Aba.
The discovery has prompted questions from residents and social media users about why human excreta were being collected and stored on the premises. Some commenters urged the authorities to investigate beyond the environmental violation to establish the purpose of the waste. "Proper investigation should be carried out to know what they are using it for, it's not only sealing it," Imo Alex wrote on the social media site. Another commenter, Kingsley Obiora, suggested that the material could have been intended for agricultural use. "Na manure oh! Maybe they want to use it in their farms," he stated. Ifeoma Enwerem similarly wrote, "It might be for pig feed, farm manure or fish feed production". Another commenter, Giraffes Arts, noted that human waste could have legitimate reuse applications. "Where I reside, it is used as bio-gas; we cook with it. Also, human extract is reused to breed worms for fish farming and other essential purposes".
As the manhunt for the fugitive landlord and tenants continues, the case has become a symbol of the broader sanitation crisis facing Abia State and Nigeria as a whole. The prosecution of the offenders, if successful, could serve as a deterrent to others who flout environmental regulations with impunity. For now, the residents of No. 16 Ibadan Street have been displaced, the building remains under lock and key, and the people of Aba are left to wonder how such a grave public health violation could have gone unnoticed for so long. The Abia State Government has drawn a line in the sand, and the message is clear: environmental violations will no longer be tolerated, and those who endanger public health will face the full weight of the law.
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