Oscar Okhifo

Five individuals, including a 75-year-old man, have been arrested and remanded in Prison custody for indiscriminate dumping of refuse into a canal along the Igando-Iba Road Link Bridge in Lagos.

The suspects were apprehended by the Lagos State Environment Laws Enforcement Team and subsequently arraigned before a Magistrate Court sitting in Oshodi.

Those arrested are: Quassim Jamiu, 44, and Ayo Jamiu, 18, both from Kwara State; Alexander Innocent, 40, from Akwa Ibom; Oparinde Taiwo, 55, from Ogun State; and Moses Adelowokan, 76, from Osun State. The court ordered their remand at the Kirikiri Correctional Facility pending further legal proceedings.

The arrests highlight the Lagos State Government’s renewed commitment to enforcing environmental laws and maintaining clean drainage systems to curb flooding and other environmental hazards.

According to the State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab, the suspects were caught red-handed by the Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) enforcement team. He noted that the arrest occurred less than 48 hours after the state issued a public warning against environmental infractions.

Mr. Wahab reiterated the government’s zero-tolerance stance on environmental offences, stressing that violators would face the full wrath of the law.

If convicted, offenders could face a penalty of up to three months in jail or a fine of ₦250,000, or both.

Authorities have continued to emphasize the dangers of indiscriminate refuse dumping, which contributes to flooding and other environmental hazards across the state.

Indiscriminate refuse dumping have become a major challenge in major cities across the country and some have blamed the various state and Local Government authorities for not having reliable waste collectors and managers.