In anticipation of their Monday arraignment before a magistrate court, the Lagos State Government has detained at least 30 environmental criminals for unlawful garbage disposal and blatant contempt of the state’s environmental regulations.
The enforcement effort, which involves a joint team of the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) and Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC), commonly known as KAI, is a continuation of the zero tolerance policy of the administration of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
The offenders, who were detained in various parts of the state, were committing crimes that could damage the environment and undermine attempts by the state government to ingrain cleanliness in the city.
Tokunbo Wahab, the commissioner for the environment and water resources, stated that the arrest and subsequent prosecution of defaulters who engage in careless waste disposal demonstrated that things were no longer as usual. He added that the state government could not sit idly by and allow some individuals to undermine efforts to keep the city in order.
Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, the Managing Director/CEO of LAWMA, also urged households to adopt the habit of sorting their waste at the source, separating it into recyclables and non-recyclables, and using designated waste bins recommended by LAWMA. She added that this would help reduce the threat of indiscriminate waste dumping, defacing the cityscape.
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