Lagos Govt arrests 3 for illegal waste dumping

The Lagos State Government has arrested three individuals for unlawfully dumping refuse along the median of Ikotun–Igando Road.

The Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, disclosed the development in a statement shared on his X handle on Tuesday.

Wahab explained that the arrests were made during an early morning operation carried out on Monday by the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) Waste Infractions Surveillance and Investigation Team. The exercise was part of ongoing efforts to eliminate waste blackspots along the Ikotun–Igando corridor.

“As a result of these operations, three individuals were apprehended for disposing of refuse illegally at the road median along Ikotun Igando Road,” the commissioner said.

He added that “the apprehended individuals have been transferred to the LAWMA legal team at the Oshodi Mobile Court for further legal proceedings.”

The suspects were identified as Muosolu Ogochukwu, 35 (female); Adedigba Kazeem, 35 (male); and Isaac Monday, 24 (male).

Wahab reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to enforcing environmental regulations and maintaining cleanliness across Lagos, while cautioning residents against indiscriminate waste disposal.

The latest arrests come amid a series of similar enforcement actions carried out in December. In one such incident, the Lagos State Government launched a manhunt for suspected hoodlums who attacked and injured four officials of the State Environmental Sanitation Corps during an enforcement operation at a restaurant in Victoria Island.

The government also confirmed that the restaurant’s supervisor was arrested and the facility sealed indefinitely.

According to Wahab, a joint team from the Lagos State Wastewater Management Office and the environmental sanitation corps had visited the restaurant for a follow-up enforcement after it was previously seen for allegedly discharging untreated wastewater, fats and oils into the environment.