LAWMA arrests seven in Ipaja‑Ayobo for illegal waste dumping on road medians

Environment

LAGOS, Nigeria (NPA) — The Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) has arrested seven individuals in the Ipaja‑Ayobo axis for illegally dumping refuse on road medians, as part of its intensified enforcement drive against indiscriminate waste disposal.

Speaking on the arrests, Dr Muyiwa Gbadegesin, Managing Director/CEO of LAWMA, said the exercise was aimed at curbing environmental violations, safeguarding public infrastructure, and maintaining sanitation across Lagos communities. The enforcement covered major locations, including Meiran, Command, Ayobo‑Ipaja, Moshalashi Bus Stop, Egbeda, Isheri Roundabout, Igando, Abaranje, and Ikotun, where offenders were intercepted.

Dr Gbadegesin stressed that road medians are public assets designed for traffic management and beautification, not waste disposal points. “The illegal dumping of waste on road medians is unacceptable and undermines the government’s efforts to maintain a clean, safe, and sustainable environment,” he said, adding that LAWMA will continue to intensify monitoring and enforcement operations across the State.

The seven suspects — three females and four males — were apprehended while disposing of waste at different locations and transferred to the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Task Force Office in Oshodi for prosecution under applicable laws.

LAWMA urged residents and businesses to patronise only approved PSP operators and utilise authorised disposal channels, stressing that environmental sustainability requires collective responsibility. The Authority reaffirmed its zero‑tolerance stance on environmental infractions, pledging to deploy intelligence‑driven monitoring and enforcement strategies to promote cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable communities across Lagos.