The Lagos Waste Management Authority said it has arrested over 300 persons and prosecuted scores for waste disposal infractions.

This is contained in a statement signed by Director of Public Affairs, LAWMA, Folashade Kadiri, on Tuesday in Lagos.

The statement said that the arrest was carried out through the authority’s surveillance and investigative activities.

It said that the arrests occurred through collaboration with the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC) on its day and night surveillance efforts.

According to LAWMA, the surveillance is aimed at identifying and apprehending individuals and businesses involved in illegal dumping of waste across the city.

The statement quoted the LAWMA Managing Director, Muyiwa Gbadegesin, as saying that it deployed comprehensive strategies, including the use of surveillance teams and mobile enforcement units, to monitor environmental infractions.

He said, “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 the authority’s efforts to sustain cleanliness of the environment. I like to note some specific incidents, including the arrest of one Engr. Akinsola along Egbeda-Akowonjo Road at about 9:20 p.m. on February 7, 2025. The individual was caught dumping waste at the road median, and he claimed to be a police officer during questioning.”

Mr Gbadegesin said that investigations later revealed that Mr Akinsola’s residence had no waste bin and was not even registered with any Private Sector Participant (PSP) for proper waste disposal.

He added that the man later confessed to acting under the instruction of his landlord.

“Legal proceedings have commenced against him. 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 p.m. dumping waste near Miccom Bus Stop along Akowonjo Road. Like others, her residence was not registered with any PSP. She is currently being prosecuted,” Mr Gbadegesin said.

According to him, the arrests reveal the scale of illegal dumping activities across the city, especially under the cover of darkness, with the culprits’ claiming ignorance of the law or blaming their landlords.

Mr Gbadegesin referenced Section 82(1) of the Lagos State Environmental Management and Protection Law, which prohibited waste dumping in unauthorised locations such as road medians, drains, and canals.

He noted that offenders risked fines of at least ₦25,000 and potential jail time under Section 109 of the same law.

“LAWMA will not relent on its mandate to make Lagos cleaner and safer for all. Enforcement is key, and we are leaving no stone unturned,” Mr Gbadegesin said.

The LAWMA boss added that the authority would continue to monitor, arrest and prosecute offenders.

He said that the agency ran continuous community sensitisation programmes such as door-to-door campaigns, to educate residents on proper waste disposal.

Mr Gbadegesin added that the sensitisation was also to promote patronage of PSP operators and ownership of waste bins under the ‘Adopt A Bin’ Programme.

The LAWMA boss observed that new innovations such as the deployment of tricycle compactors and expansion of recycling programmes would help reduce the city’s dependence on dumpsites and improve access to waste collection in difficult-to-reach areas.

He called on residents to play their part by reporting erring neighbours or landlords and urged them to patronise only registered PSPs and take collective ownership of their environment.

Mr Gbadegesin said, “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.’”

(NAN)