The Lagos Waste Management Authority has stated that two female individuals, Margaret Solomon, 29 years, and Onyia Elizabeth, 42 years, will be tried for illegal waste dumping and non-compliance with environmental laws.
The apprehension followed a night operation by the waste infractions and surveillance team at Sangotedo along the Lekki Expressway between the evening of Tuesday and the early hours of Wednesday.
According to a post by the LAWMA Chief Executive Officer, Muyiwa Gbadegeshin, on his X handle on Thursday, he disclosed that upon their arrest, they were unable to provide a correct residential address and have been transferred to the agency’s legal team for prosecution in line with the Lagos State Environmental Management and Protection Law.
“Upon apprehension, the suspects were unable to provide verifiable residential addresses and have since been transferred to LAWMA’s legal team for prosecution in line with the Lagos State Environmental Management and Protection Law (EMPL 2017),” he stated.
He added that photo and video evidence were gathered on-site to aid legal proceedings.
He said every resident had a legal duty to dispose of their waste properly and maintain a clean environment, and comply with the state’s environmental laws.
Muyiwa urged residents to register with their assigned waste operators, secure a LAWMA-approved smart bin, pay their waste bills properly, avoid illegal waste dumping and use authorised waste collection points.
He stated that the failure to adhere to the rules would lead to arrest, fines up to N250,000 and three months imprisonment.
PUNCH Metro reported on June 18 that a 45-year-old man, Mr. Imeh Bassey, was scheduled for trial after being arrested for illegally dumping refuse on the median of Ikorodu Road, near the Ketu bus stop area of the state.
The spokesperson for the state Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, Kunle Adesina, disclosed in a statement that the LAWMA monitoring squad apprehended Bassey at about 4:00 am on the day of his arrest.
