Lagos arrests 12 environmental offenders in fresh sanitation crackdown

Lagos State Government has arrested 12 suspected environmental offenders in separate enforcement operations across Lagos Island, Yaba and Ikorodu, as authorities intensify efforts to combat indiscriminate waste disposal and other environmental violations.

The arrests were carried out by the Lagos Waste Management Authority, LAWMA, in collaboration with the Kick Against Indiscipline, KAI, Corps as part of the state’s ongoing campaign to improve environmental sanitation and enforce compliance with waste management regulations.

Speaking on the operations, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of LAWMA, Dr Muyiwa Gbadegesin, said the agency’s Project WISE Enforcement Team apprehended 11 suspects during surveillance exercises conducted on Lagos Island and around the Yaba College of Technology, YABATECH, axis.

According to him, the suspects were arrested for offences including indiscriminate waste disposal, illegal scavenging and other environmental infractions.

The suspects were identified as Onasanya Josphine (arrested in Yaba), Godspower, Lucky Osaigie, Goodness John, Rasheed Abass, Yaya Cidi, Abubakar Amosu, Monday Lawal, Sanni A. Sanni, Opere Badmus and Usman Nasir.

Gbadegesin disclosed that the suspects had been taken into custody and would be prosecuted in line with the environmental laws of Lagos State.

In a separate enforcement exercise in Ikorodu, the LAWMA boss said operatives of the KAI Corps arrested a school security guard after a concerned resident allegedly caught him emptying the contents of a waste bin into a drainage channel in front of the school where he worked.

The suspect, identified as John Ehidreme, has also been taken into custody and is expected to face prosecution under the relevant environmental laws.

Commending the resident whose report led to the arrest, Gbadegesin described the action as a demonstration of the active public participation required to achieve a cleaner environment.

“We commend the public-spirited citizen whose timely intervention made this enforcement action possible. Environmental protection is a shared responsibility, and we encourage residents to emulate this example by reporting environmental offenders through the appropriate government channels. Together, we can build a cleaner, healthier and more sustainable Lagos,” he said.

The LAWMA chief condemned the indiscriminate dumping of refuse into drainage channels, road medians, sidewalks and other unauthorised locations, warning that such practices obstruct drainage systems, increase the risk of flooding, degrade the environment and pose serious public health risks.

He said the latest arrests formed part of the Lagos State Government’s sustained enforcement strategy aimed at eliminating environmental violations, strengthening compliance with waste management laws and protecting public health.

Gbadegesin added that surveillance and enforcement operations would continue across the state through collaboration between environmental and security agencies to ensure offenders are identified and prosecuted.

He urged residents, businesses and institutions to patronise only their designated Private Sector Participants, PSPs, for waste collection, comply with approved waste disposal practices and report environmental violations through official government channels.

The LAWMA boss reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to achieving a cleaner, healthier and more sustainable Lagos through sustained enforcement, public sensitisation and stronger collaboration among relevant stakeholders.

Lagos arrests 12 environmental offenders in fresh sanitation crackdown