Just two days after residents and business owners around Jakande Estate Gate in Oke Afa, Isolo, raised alarm over piles of refuse on their road median, the Lagos State Government has stepped up action against indiscriminate waste disposal across the state.
On Monday, August 25, residents of the community complained about the terrible smell and health risks caused by waste left uncleared for days. They also alleged that people from nearby communities came to dump refuse in their area, making the situation worse.
In what seemed like a direct response to these concerns, the Lagos State Wastewater Management Office, on Wednesday, sealed off a residential building on Apongbon Street, Lagos Island, for discharging faces into public drains.
The building, identified as Pa Kasumu Adepeju Olaniyonu House at No. 22 Apongbon Street, was shut for “causing public nuisance, environmental pollution, and endangering human life,” according to the enforcement team.
Two days later, on August 29, officials of the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) arrested at least 40 people during a coordinated operation along Ozumba Mbadiwe Road and parts of Lekki.
The suspects, aged between 18 and 45, were accused of offences ranging from illegal dumping of waste to street activities that threatened safety and environmental cleanliness.
“All arrested individuals are being processed and will face prosecution according to the law,” said Tokunbo Wahab, Commissioner for Health and Water Resources, via his social media page.
In another operation, LAWMA’s Waste Infractions Surveillance Investigation Team arrested eight persons along the Lekki-Epe Expressway for illegally dumping refuse at unauthorized sites. Among them were 37-year-old Oluwamomi Mankinde and 39-year-old Martha Simon.
“Lagosian must embrace proper waste and wastewater management as well as hygiene practices to protect public health and ensure a safe environment. We will not tolerate lawlessness that threatens environmental safety,” Wahab added.
Meanwhile, residents of Isolo told our correspondent on Sunday that they hoped the clampdown would also cover their community.
A vulcanize, Kazeen Balogun, said: “We have complained for long. If LAWMA can arrest people in Lekki, they should also come here. The odor we inhale every day is a big risk.”
Another resident, Olayemi Abiodun, shared the same view, saying stricter monitoring at Jakande Estate Gate would discourage outsiders who come to dump waste there.
For now, many Lagos residents are waiting to see if the renewed enforcement will extend to neglected communities already battling with heaps of refuse.
