IKOYI/Nigeria: In a stern move against environmental offenders, a Magistrates’ Court, specifically the Environmental Special Offences Court of Lagos State District, sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, has meted out fines of ₦30,000 per person or the option of community service to 26 individuals. These individuals were found guilty of engaging in reckless waste disposal in various locations across the state.
This ruling was disclosed in a statement released by Mrs. Folashade Kadiri, the Director of Public Affairs for the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), on Tuesday in Lagos.
According to the statement, the environmental offenders were apprehended by LAWMA’s enforcement team in collaboration with the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC) at different locations in the state. They were caught disposing of their refuse in unauthorized areas, violating the law between the hours of 9.30 p.m and 7.00 a.m.
Managing Director/CEO of LAWMA, Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, expressed his thoughts on the judgment, highlighting the intensified joint enforcement action by the Authority. He stated that this action is in line with the zero tolerance policy of the administration of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
Gbadegesin emphasized, “The era of recklessness and disdain for the environment is over. Anyone caught under whatever guise will be made to face the wrath of the law. The exercise is a continuous one.” He called upon residents to actively support the efforts to sanitize the environment by avoiding reckless waste disposal, keeping waste receptacles at home, and only patronizing accredited Private Sector Participants (PSP) operators. He warned that there would be no sanctuary for defaulters.
It is worth noting that a similar judgment was previously handed down by a Magistrates’ Court in Oshodi, where 29 individuals were sentenced to fines and community service for engaging in indiscriminate waste disposal at different locations in the metropolis.
