No restriction on movement during sanitation exercise —Wahab

The Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, has said there is no restriction on movement during the monthly environmental sanitation exercise in the state.

Wahab stated this in a post on X on Saturday while responding to an X user, #Faveo Autos, who had asked about the fine for movement during the exercise and alleged an arrest at the Ikeja Police Station.

The X user, Faveo Autos, had asked the commissioner, “What is the fine for movement during environmental… Ikeja police station.”

The commissioner said any arrest carried out on the basis of movement during the exercise was unlawful and did not reflect the position of the state government.

“For clarity, there is no restriction on movement during the monthly environmental sanitation exercise. Consequently, arresting anyone on the basis of movement during the exercise is unlawful and does not represent the position or policy of the Lagos State Government,” he said.

Wahab explained that the exercise was reintroduced to restore and strengthen the culture of environmental cleanliness across the state, noting that it is backed by the Lagos State Environmental Management and Protection Law, 2017.

“The monthly environmental sanitation exercise was reintroduced primarily to restore and strengthen the culture of environmental cleanliness across the state. The initiative is backed by the Lagos State Environmental Management and Protection Law, 2017. However, the law does not provide for any restriction on movement during the exercise,” he said.

The commissioner added that the government’s focus was on encouraging residents to embrace environmental sanitation as a civic duty rather than relying on enforcement.

“Our focus is on encouraging Lagosians to embrace environmental sanitation as a civic responsibility and a shared commitment to maintaining a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable Lagos, rather than relying on enforcement measures,” he said.