Lagos Court Remands Five Over Illegal Dumping in Canal

Five individuals were arraigned on Thursday before a Magistrate’s Court in Oshodi for allegedly dumping waste into a canal along the Igando-Iba Road Link Bridge in Lagos.

The court ordered that the defendants—Quassim Jamiu and Ayo Jamiu (both from Kwara State), Alexander Innocent (Akwa Ibom), Oparinde Taiwo (Ogun State), and Moses Adelowokan (Osun State)—be remanded at the Kirikiri Correctional Centre until the next hearing scheduled for July 9.

According to authorities, the suspects were caught in the act while attempting to discharge a large quantity of refuse into the canal using a lorry. They were arrested by operatives of the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC), in collaboration with security personnel.

The arrest follows an intensified enforcement drive by the Lagos State Government to clamp down on violations of environmental laws, particularly indiscriminate waste disposal.

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Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab, reaffirmed the government’s zero-tolerance stance on illegal dumping. He stressed that the state would ensure the suspects are prosecuted to the full extent of the law to serve as a deterrent to others.

“This government will not condone actions that compromise the health of our environment and endanger public safety. Those caught flouting our sanitation laws will face the consequences,” Wahab stated.

The incident occurred just 48 hours after the government issued a strong warning to residents and businesses against illegal waste disposal.