By: Tijani Salako.
The Lagos State Government has arrested 12 environmental offenders in separate enforcement operations across Lagos Island, Yaba and Ikorodu as the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) and the Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) Corps stepped up efforts to curb indiscriminate waste disposal and other environmental violations.
The Lagos State Government said the arrests were made during coordinated enforcement operations by LAWMA’s Project WISE Enforcement Team and officers of the KAI Corps as part of ongoing efforts to improve environmental sanitation and ensure compliance with the state’s waste management laws.
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of LAWMA, Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, said the Project WISE Enforcement Team apprehended 11 suspects during surveillance operations carried out in different parts of Lagos Island and at the Yabatech axis of Yaba.
According to him, the suspects were arrested for offences including indiscriminate waste disposal, illegal scavenging and other environmental infractions.
Gbadegesin identified the suspects as Onasanya Josphine, God’s Power, Lucky Osaigie, Goodness John, Rasheed Abass, Yaya Cidi, Abubakar Amosu, Monday Lawal, Sanni A. Sanni, Opere Badmus and Usman Nasir, adding that they had been taken into custody and would be prosecuted in accordance with the environmental laws of Lagos State.
He also disclosed that officers of the KAI Corps arrested a school security guard, identified as John Ehidreme, in Ikorodu after a concerned resident recorded and reported him allegedly emptying waste from a refuse bin into a drainage channel in front of the school where he works.
The LAWMA boss said the suspect had also been taken into custody and would face prosecution under the relevant environmental laws.
Gbadegesin commended the resident whose action led to the arrest, describing the intervention as an example of the active public participation needed to keep the state clean.
He urged Lagos residents to report environmental offenders through appropriate government channels, stressing that environmental protection remains a shared responsibility.
“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.
Gbadegesin described the indiscriminate dumping of refuse in drainage channels, road medians, sidewalks and other unauthorised locations as unacceptable, warning that such practices obstruct drainage systems, increase the risk of flooding, degrade the environment and pose serious public health hazards.
He said the latest arrests formed part of the state government’s sustained enforcement drive aimed at eliminating illegal waste disposal, strengthening compliance with environmental regulations and safeguarding public health.
According to him, surveillance and enforcement operations will continue across the state through collaboration between environmental and security agencies to ensure that offenders are apprehended and prosecuted.
He also urged residents, businesses and institutions to patronise only their assigned Private Sector Participants (PSPs) for waste collection and disposal while complying with approved waste management practices.
Gbadegesin reaffirmed the Lagos State Government’s commitment to maintaining a cleaner, healthier and more sustainable environment through sustained enforcement, community engagement and strategic collaboration with relevant stakeholders.
