A Lagos Magistrate’s Court sitting in Oshodi, yesterday, remanded five persons arrested for dumping refuse in the canal along Igando-Iba road Link Bridge in Kirikiri Correctional facility.

They are Quassim Jamiu, 44, from Kwara State, Ayo Jamiu, 18, from Kwara State, Alexander Innocent, 40, Akwa Ibom, Oparinde Taiwo, 55, Ogun State and Moses Adelowokan, 76, from Osun State.

The magistrate adjourned till July 9 for hearing of the case. The accused persons were apprehended by a team of Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) officials and security men, as they were in the process of dumping the refuse into the canal when security men swooped on them.

Their arrest is coming less than 48 hours after the Lagos State government read the riot act to all those who engage in disobeying provisions of the State Environmental laws, warning that if caught, they will face prosecution.

Speaking on the arrest, the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr Tokunbo Wahab, reiterated the resolve of the state government to come down hard on all those engaging in indiscriminate dumping of refuse.

He said the State government will ensure diligent prosecution of all the arrested people to serve as a deterrence to all those with similar intentions. He reminded all those with similar intentions to be wary because they risk three months imprisonment and a fine of N250,000.

Wahab said the government has provided PSP waste operators across all the wards in the state to evacuate waste from all homes and neighbourhoods in the state for a fee.