Just two days after concerned residents and business owners near Jakande Estate Gate in Oke Afa, Isolo, Lagos, voiced frustration over mounting piles of refuse along their estate road, the Lagos State Government has stepped up its crackdown on indiscriminate waste disposal throughout the city.
On Monday, August 25, PUNCH Metro reported how locals lamented the foul odor and health hazards caused by garbage left uncollected for extended periods. Residents claimed that individuals from neighboring communities routinely transported and dumped their waste in the area, exacerbating the environmental crisis.
In a decisive move addressing these pollution concerns, the Lagos State Wastewater Management Office on Wednesday ordered the closure of a residential building on Apongbon Street, Lagos Island. The occupant had been caught deliberately releasing sewage into public drains.
The enforcement team identified the property as Pa Kasumu Adepeju Olaniyonu House, 22 Apongbon Street, sealing it off for “creating a public nuisance, polluting the environment, and putting lives at risk.”
Then, on August 29, officials from the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) launched a coordinated raid and arrested over 40 individuals engaged in a variety of illegal activities—including the unlawful dumping of refuse—around Ozumba Mbadiwe Road and various locations in Lekki.
The suspects, ranging in age from 18 to 45, now face charges for actions that threaten both public safety and environmental cleanliness.
“All those apprehended are currently being processed and will be prosecuted in accordance with the law,” stated Tokunbo Wahab, Commissioner for Health and Water Resources, in a social media update.
Additionally, the agency’s Waste Infractions Surveillance Investigation Team apprehended eight more offenders on the Lekki-Epe Expressway for dumping waste at unauthorized locations. Among those arrested were Oluwamomi Mankinde, 37, and Martha Simon, 39.
“We urge all Lagosians to adopt responsible waste and wastewater management practices to protect public health and promote environmental sustainability. We refuse to let lawlessness jeopardize Lagos’ safety,” Wahab emphasized.
Meanwhile, some Isolo residents expressed hope that this intensified enforcement would soon reach their neighborhood.
Kazeen Balogun, a local vulcanizer, shared, “We have complained for so long. If LAWMA can make arrests in Lekki, they should come here too. The smell we tolerate daily poses a serious health risk.”
Olayemi Abiodun, another resident, agreed, adding that stronger monitoring around Jakande Estate Gate would discourage outsiders from dumping their refuse there.
For now, residents across Lagos watch and wait, hoping that stricter waste management enforcement will extend to overlooked communities still struggling with overwhelming refuse problems.
