LAWMA SECURES SENTENCING OF ENVIRONMENTAL OFFENDERS

The Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), in collaboration with enforcement partners, has secured court convictions for eight individuals arrested for indiscriminate waste dumping along Ejigbo Road, Lagos.The environmental offenders, apprehended on June 28, 2025, following credible intelligence and community reports of persistent illegal dumping activities in the area, were subsequently arraigned before the Special Offences Court sitting at Bolade, Oshodi.Delivering judgement, the court imposed varying sentences on the offenders. Four of the convicts were fined ₦20,000 each, with the alternative of performing community service. Four other individuals facing a three-count charge were fined ₦75,000 each or an option of custodial sentencing.Commenting on the outcome of the prosecution, the Managing Director/CEO of LAWMA, Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, reaffirmed the agency’s zero tolerance for environmental violations, stressing that prosecution and sentencing were vital tools for deterring reckless disposal of waste across the city.He said, “This is a clear signal that Lagos will no longer tolerate habitual abuse of the environment. The successful prosecution and sentencing of those individuals mark a significant step in our enforcement efforts. Let it be known that illegal waste dumping will attract not just arrest, but public trial, fines, community service, or even outright jail term. Our city must be clean, and we will hold offenders accountable for their own actions”.Gbadegesin noted that out of the 11 individuals initially apprehended, two minors were released after counselling, and one adult was discharged on compassionate grounds with the approval of the presiding magistrate, adding that the eight who stood trial were convicted based on clear evidence of violations of extant sanitation laws.He stated that LAWMA would continue to intensify both enforcement and public sensitisation across all areas and emerging residential corridors, where infractions were more frequent due to rapid urbanisation.“We are scaling up monitoring and enforcement activities across the metropolis. At the same time, we are expanding our advocacy outreach to educate residents, especially newcomers, about their civic duties and environmental obligations,” he added.He further urged residents to report environmental infractions, support PSP operators, and avoid patronising illegal waste handlers such as cart pushers, reiterating LAWMA’s commitment to working with communities and other stakeholders to achieve a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable Lagos.For further information or to report any waste management issues, residents are advised to contact LAWMA through its official lines: 080000LAWMA (08000052962), 07080601020 or 617 or send an email to info@lawma.gov.ng.Kadiri, Folashade (Mrs.)Director, Public Affairs01/07/2025