The Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) has intensified its enforcement operations across Lagos, arresting 14 persons for alleged waste-related offences on Lagos Island. The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of LAWMA, Dr Muyiwa Gbadegesin, stated that the operations aimed to strengthen compliance with waste management regulations and curb activities undermining the state’s organised waste management system. The arrests were made in areas including Idumota, Oke-Popo, Tom Jones, and Tinubu.
The arrested suspects, aged between 19 and 35, were identified as Buhari Danbaba, Ayo Akindele, Shamsudeen Lawal, Ibrahim Isiaka, Azeez Alatilehin, Quadri Adisa, Ogunbado Sobur, Salimonu Oluwadamilare, Odunayo Arinola, Azeez Roqeeb, Sherifdeen Mudashiru, Nurudeen Saliu, Zazilo Bello, and Augustine Eje. They were arrested for various alleged waste-related offences, including dumping waste into the lagoon. LAWMA’s enforcement operations are part of its efforts to maintain a clean and sustainable environment in Lagos.
In addition to the arrests on Lagos Island, LAWMA also conducted an operation along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, seizing scores of carts allegedly used for unauthorised waste collection. The operation covered areas from Mile 2 to Okokomaiko. Gbadegesin warned that unregulated waste collection and transportation could undermine the organised waste management system, particularly when waste collected was subsequently dumped at unauthorised locations.
Gbadegesin also warned against dumping waste into waterways, stating that such practices could undermine the state’s environmental sustainability efforts. He urged residents, traders, and businesses to desist from indiscriminate waste disposal and patronise accredited waste collection operators. Waste should be handed over through approved channels to ensure proper disposal and minimise environmental hazards.
The LAWMA boss stressed that anyone found dumping waste on roads, drains, waterways, and other unauthorised locations, or engaging in unauthorised waste collection, would face appropriate enforcement action in accordance with applicable laws. Residents are urged to support LAWMA’s enforcement and waste management operations by adopting proper waste disposal practices and reporting cases of illegal dumping and unauthorised waste collection.
LAWMA’s enforcement operations are ongoing, with the authority committed to maintaining a clean and sustainable environment in Lagos. Residents are encouraged to report cases of illegal dumping and unauthorised waste collection through LAWMA’s established channels. By working together, LAWMA and residents can ensure a healthier and more sustainable environment for all.
The authority’s efforts to curb illegal waste dumping and unauthorised waste collection are part of its broader strategy to improve waste management in Lagos. LAWMA will continue to work with residents, traders, and businesses to promote proper waste disposal practices and maintain a clean environment.
Key points
- LAWMA arrests 14 persons for waste-related offences on Lagos Island.
- LAWMA seizes carts used for unauthorised waste collection along Lagos-Badagry Expressway.
- Residents urged to adopt proper waste disposal practices and report cases of illegal dumping.
