LAGOS COURT CONVICTS 16 OVER ENVIRONMENTAL OFFENCES

A Lagos Special Offences and Mobile Court sitting in Oshodi has convicted 16 individuals for various environmental offences following their arraignment by the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA).
   
They were arrested by LAWMA’s enforcement team during coordinated surveillance operations at various locations on the Gbagada Expressway, at Anthony Oke, Oworonsoki and Bariga, for dumping waste on road medians, drainage channels and other unauthorised locations, contrary to the state’s environmental laws.
   
They were subsequently charged on Monday before the Chief Magistrate Jimoh Adefioye on four counts each, bordering on indiscriminate waste disposal, failure to patronise the assigned Private Sector Participants (PSPs), breach of environmental sanitation laws, and other related offences.    
   
Following their conviction, the court sentenced each to four months in prison, one month for each count.
   
The convictions are part of LAWMA’s enforcement drive to eliminate indiscriminate waste disposal, strengthen compliance with environmental laws, and promote a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable Lagos.
   
Reacting to the judgment, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of LAWMA, Dr Muyiwa Gbadegesin, said it was a strong demonstration of the state government’s resolve to enforce environmental laws and safeguard public health.

According to him, “the era of indiscriminate waste disposal without consequences is over. These convictions send a clear message that environmental laws will be enforced without fear or favour.
   
“We will continue to strengthen surveillance and enforcement across the state to ensure compliance with approved waste management practices.”
   
Gbadegesin urged residents and businesses to also complement the state government’s efforts at improving waste management infrastructure and service delivery, adding, “Effective waste management is a shared responsibility.
 
“Government will continue to strengthen waste management infrastructure, improve service delivery and enforce environmental laws, but residents and businesses must also play their part by patronising their assigned PSP operators, complying with environmental regulations and refraining from indiscriminate waste disposal.”
  
He further assured that LAWMA would continue to intensify surveillance, monitoring and enforcement operations across Lagos, in collaboration with relevant security and environmental agencies, to deter environmental violations and sustain the ongoing efforts to keep the state clean.
   
The LAWMA chief also urged residents to support the state’s environmental sustainability agenda by complying with approved waste management practices and reporting cases of illegal waste disposal and other environmental infractions through the agency’s official communication channels.