LAWMA, KAI ARREST 12 FOR ILLEGAL WASTE DISPOSAL IN LAGOS
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By; Sunmola Ganiyat
The Lagos State Government has arrested 12 environmental offenders during separate enforcement operations in Lagos Island, Yaba, and Ikorodu, as authorities intensify efforts to tackle illegal waste disposal and other environmental violations across the state.
The operations 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 promote environmental sanitation and public health.
Speaking on the enforcement exercise, LAWMA’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, said the agency’s Project WISE Enforcement Team apprehended 11 suspects during surveillance operations in Lagos Island and around the Yaba College of Technology axis.
The suspects were arrested for offences including indiscriminate waste disposal, illegal scavenging, and other environmental infractions.
According to Gbadegesin, those arrested include 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.
He disclosed that all the suspects have been taken into custody and will be prosecuted in accordance with Lagos State environmental laws.
In a separate operation in Ikorodu, officers of the KAI Corps arrested a school security guard, John Ehidreme, 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 worked.
Gbadegesin praised the resident whose report led to the arrest, describing the action as a commendable example of civic responsibility and public participation in protecting the environment.
He encouraged Lagos residents to continue reporting environmental offenders through appropriate government channels, stressing that environmental protection is a collective responsibility.
The LAWMA boss condemned the indiscriminate dumping of refuse into drainage channels, road medians, sidewalks, and other unauthorised locations, warning that such practices contribute to blocked drainage systems, flooding, environmental degradation, and public health risks.
He explained that the arrests form part of the Lagos State Government’s sustained enforcement campaign aimed at improving compliance with environmental regulations and maintaining a cleaner and healthier environment.
Gbadegesin assured residents that surveillance and enforcement operations would continue across the state through collaboration between environmental and security agencies to ensure offenders are brought to justice.
He also urged households, businesses, and institutions to patronise only their designated Private Sector Participants (PSPs) for waste collection, comply with approved waste management practices, and support government efforts by promptly reporting environmental violations.
The LAWMA chief reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to achieving a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable Lagos through continuous enforcement, public awareness, and strategic collaboration among relevant agencies.
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