LAWMA arrests 14, seizes scores of carts in Lagos enforcement

The Lagos Waste Management Authority, LAWMA, has arrested 14 persons and confiscated scores of carts allegedly used by illegal waste collectors during separate enforcement operations across Lagos State.

LAWMA disclosed this in a post shared on the Lagos State Government’s Instagram page on Monday, saying the intensified operations were targeted at curbing illegal dumping and unauthorised waste collection across the state.

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of LAWMA, Dr Muyiwa Gbadegesin, said the enforcement exercises reflected the authority’s determination to improve compliance with waste management regulations and curb practices that disrupt the approved system of waste collection and disposal.

According to Gbadegesin, the Lagos Island operation covered Idumota, Oke-Popo, Tom Jones and Tinubu, where 14 individuals were arrested for various waste-related offences.

He said one of the offences involved the illegal disposal of waste into the lagoon, stressing that the operation was part of ongoing efforts to enforce approved waste management regulations across Lagos.

The LAWMA chief executive also disclosed that officials seized scores of carts from suspected illegal waste collectors operating along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway.

Gbadegesin said the enforcement operations were intended to curb activities capable of undermining the state’s waste management system and ensure that refuse is collected and disposed of through approved channels.

LAWMA said the latest enforcement exercises reaffirmed its commitment to sustained action against illegal waste disposal and unauthorised waste collection in Lagos.

The authority urged residents and waste operators to adhere to established waste management regulations as enforcement operations continue across the state.