Man jailed four weeks for illegal waste disposal in Lagos

The Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) has secured a four-week jail term for a 56-year-old man, Adebayo Samson, who was convicted for illegally dumping refuse along the PWD axis of Agege Motor Road, Lagos. 
The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of LAWMA, Dr Muyiwa Gbadegesin, said the offender was apprehended by the Monitoring and Enforcement Team while illegally disposing of waste at an unauthorised location on Friday, July 24, in violation of Lagos State environmental laws. 
According to him, the suspect was arraigned before the Magistrate’s Court sitting in Bolade, Oshodi, where he pleaded guilty to the offence. 
The court subsequently convicted and sentenced him to four weeks’ imprisonment. 
Gbadegesin described indiscriminate waste disposal as a serious environmental offence that undermines the Lagos State Government’s commitment to maintaining a cleaner, healthier and more sustainable environment. 
“I must emphasise that anyone found disposing of waste on roads, road medians, drainage channels, open spaces or any other unauthorised location will be arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the law. There will be no exceptions,” he said.
He urged residents to patronise only their assigned Private Sector Participant (PSP) operators and dispose of their waste through approved channels, stressing that environmental sanitation is a shared responsibility. 
The LAWMA boss assured residents that the agency would continue to strengthen surveillance and enforcement operations across the state, in collaboration with relevant agencies, to curb illegal waste disposal and promote responsible environmental practices that safeguard public health and the environment. 
He also encouraged residents to report incidents of indiscriminate waste disposal and other environmental violations through LAWMA’s official communication channels for prompt investigation and enforcement.