The Abia State Environmental Protection Agency (ASEPA) has provided an update on the August 9 septic tank tragedy in Aba that claimed the lives of two men during manual sewage evacuation.
The agency, in an incident report and subsequent press release, identified the deceased as 39-year-old Mr Bassey Akwaibom and 44-year-old Mr Thompson from Enugu.
The incident occurred at No. 10 Powerline Street, off Omuma Road, Aba, where the two men were reportedly involved in the manual evacuation of an underground septic sewage tank.
ASEPA said the premises had been sealed, while the landlord, identified as Engr. Udochukwu Jen, was invited for interrogation.
The agency also disclosed that two persons, Ikechukwu Chisom and Ugorji Solomon, were arrested on August 11 in connection with the incident but were subsequently released after it was confirmed that they were not tenants of the affected building.
In a press release dated August 13, ASEPA warned residents to desist from manual sewage evacuation, describing the practice as illegal and dangerous.
The agency said, going forward, any building found engaging the services of manual sewage evacuators would be sealed.
ASEPA also warned residents against emptying or channelling septic tank waste into public drains and roads, describing the practice as a major threat to public health.
According to the agency, offenders will be arrested and prosecuted.
The environmental agency further urged residents and businesses to obtain waste buckets from approved vendors and use them strictly for waste collection, warning against using the buckets for other purposes such as shop decoration.
The latest statement provides further details on the tragedy earlier reported by National Concord and underscores ASEPA’s renewed enforcement against unsafe sewage disposal practices in Aba.
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