The Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) has shut down Donald’s Fast Food, a popular restaurant owned by socialite Pascal Chibuike Okechukwu, better known as Cubana Chief Priest.
The closure stems from repeated allegations of noise pollution and environmental violations.
Lagos State Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, announced the closure on his X (formerly Twitter) account on Sunday. He explained that the outlet, located on Adebayo Doherty Street in Lekki Phase 1, was sealed after consistently ignoring environmental regulations despite several warnings and abatement notices from the agency.
“After multiple warnings and abatement notices, LASEPA has sealed Donald’s Fast Food on Adebayo Doherty Street in Lekki 1 due to noise pollution and other environmental infractions,” Wahab posted.
To emphasize the disturbances caused in the otherwise quiet neighborhood, the Commissioner shared a video recorded by a resident at 2 a.m. that same Sunday, which captured loud music emanating from the fast food establishment, now functioning as a nightclub.
LASEPA made the decision to close the establishment following numerous complaints from residents about the excessive noise coming from the restaurant. Despite prior attempts to resolve the issue through official warnings, the violations continued, leading the agency to take decisive action.
This situation reflects the Lagos State government’s increasing efforts to enforce environmental laws throughout the state, particularly concerning noise pollution, improper waste management, and other infractions that negatively impact residents’ quality of life.
While this case underscores potential shortcomings in zoning regulations, such as allowing a nightclub in a residential area, Lagos State has clear laws governing noise pollution. The National Environmental Standards & Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), enforced by LASEPA, stipulates that noise levels in residential areas must not exceed 55 decibels during the day and 45 decibels at night. In contrast, industrial areas can reach up to 90 decibels during the day, while commercial zones are capped at 70 decibels during the day.
Furthermore, venues such as religious institutions, clubhouses, and entertainment venues must operate within enclosed, soundproofed areas and strictly control speaker usage to minimize disturbances to nearby residents. They are also required to limit the number of internal speakers to ensure they serve only their immediate audience without disrupting the broader community.
In light of this crackdown, LASEPA reiterated its commitment to enforcing compliance with environmental regulations in Lagos and warned that businesses failing to adhere to these standards would face penalties, including closure.
