From Lukman Olabiyi
The Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) has arrested over 300 individuals and prosecuted several for illegal waste disposal in a renewed crackdown involving day and night surveillance.
The operation, conducted in collaboration with the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC), targets those involved in improper waste dumping across Lagos.
LAWMA’s Managing Director/CEO, Dr Muyiwa Gbadegesin, confirmed the deployment of surveillance teams and mobile enforcement units to monitor and ensure compliance with sanitation laws.
He stated, “Our night surveillance and enforcement team, working with LAGESC, has apprehended over 300 people for various waste-related infractions. Many have already been charged to court and many sentenced to community service. This will serve as a deterrent to those bent on derailing efforts of the Authority to sustain cleanliness of the environment.”
Gbadegesin highlighted specific cases, including the arrest of Engineer Akinsola on February 7 at 9:20 PM along Egbeda-Akowonjo Road for dumping waste on a road median. Akinsola, who claimed to be a police officer, admitted acting on his landlord’s instructions. Investigations revealed his residence lacked a waste bin and was not registered with a Private Sector Participant (PSP) operator. He faces legal proceedings.
Gbadegesin added: “In another operation on Shasha Road, 25 individuals, including six car owners, were arrested for using personal vehicles to dump large quantities of waste at the fence of Abati Primary School. Similarly, a woman identified as Fatima was caught on February 5, 2025, at 10:37 pm dumping waste near Micom Bus Stop along Akowonjo Road. Like others, her residence was not registered with any PSP. She is currently being prosecuted.”
These arrests expose the extent of illegal dumping, often at night, with offenders citing ignorance or landlord instructions. Gbadegesin referenced Section 82(1) of the Lagos State Environmental Management and Protection Law 2017, which prohibits dumping in unauthorised locations like road medians, drains, and canals, with fines starting at ₦25,000 and potential imprisonment under Section 109.
He said, “LAWMA will not relent in its mandate to make Lagos cleaner and safer for all. Enforcement is key, and we are leaving no stone unturned.”
LAWMA is also promoting proper waste disposal through community sensitisation, door-to-door campaigns, and the ‘Adopt A Bin’ programme to encourage PSP patronage and bin ownership. Innovations like tricycle compactors and expanded recycling aim to reduce reliance on dumpsites and improve waste collection in hard-to-reach areas.
Gbadegesin urged residents to report violations and use registered PSPs, stating: “Our goal is to prevent avoidable issues like flooding and disease outbreaks. We can’t achieve this without the support of the people. Environmental protection is everyone’s responsibility; this is the era of ‘See something, Say something.’”