By Ikugbadi Oluwasegun
The Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) has intensified its enforcement against illegal waste disposal, sealing several premises along Ago Palace Way and arresting 11 persons on Lagos Island.
The Authority said the operations targeted persistent violations of waste management regulations across the state.
According to Muyiwa Gbadegesin, Managing Director/CEO of LAWMA, the Ago Palace Way enforcement, covered plazas, hotels, lounges, and warehouses along the corridor where waste was being dumped indiscriminately on road setbacks, medians and other unauthorised public spaces.
In a separate operation covering Tinubu, Apongbon, Oke-Arin, and CMC areas on Lagos Island, 11 persons were arrested for unauthorised handling and illegal disposal of waste.
The suspects were identified as Shabban Tasiu (20), Nkechukwu Nwokeji (40), Kolawole Elija (28), Sunni Sado (30), Subairu Lawal (28), Abi Lawal (22), Sufianu Musa (20), Yusuf Lawan (18), Ahmed Lawal (25), St. Peter Eze (23), and Udo Richard (32).
Gbadegesin said indiscriminate dumping remains harmful to the environment and could reverse sanitation gains recorded in the state. He urged residents, traders, and business owners to desist from dumping waste on roads, walkways, drains, and other unauthorised locations.
He advised that waste should be properly bagged and handed over to accredited Private Sector Participation (PSP) operators, stressing that businesses and property owners must take responsibility for waste generated within and around their premises.
He noted that the enforcement was part of LAWMA’s broader strategy to improve environmental cleanliness, tackle violations at source and promote responsible waste management behaviour, adding that the Authority will continue to monitor different parts of the state and take appropriate action against violators.
He emphasized that the exercise was not merely to apprehend offenders but to promote compliance and encourage a sustained change in public attitude towards waste management.
The LAWMA boss called on residents to support the Authority’s efforts by complying with environmental regulations, using approved disposal channels and reporting illegal dumping through LAWMA’s official channels, noting that achieving a cleaner Lagos requires collective responsibility.
