447 prosecuted for roadside refuse dumping as LAWMA vows extra arrests

No fewer than 447 individuals had been prosecuted in Lagos State in 2025 for dumping refuse on roads and different unauthorised places, the Lagos State Waste Administration Authority has disclosed.

The Managing Director of LAWMA, Mr Muyiwa Gbedegesin, made this identified in an interview with PUNCH Metro on Tuesday, noting that the company would intensify enforcement in opposition to environmental offenders throughout the state.

Gbedegesin stated indiscriminate waste disposal by residents remained a serious problem undermining efficient waste administration in Lagos, stressing that many residents wrongly dump refuse on roadsides within the expectation that LAWMA vans would evacuate it.

In response to him, such practices run opposite to the permitted waste administration system and end in avoidable waste of public assets.

“Residents of Lagos make it troublesome for LAWMA to function. They go away their waste on the highway for LAWMA vans to gather. That isn’t the system, and it’s a main problem. Anytime we see such waste, we spend cash to drive out and accumulate it,” he stated.

He defined that waste assortment was the accountability of Personal Sector Participation operators, including that residents had been solely required to pay their month-to-month payments for refuse to be collected immediately from their properties.

“In order that sort of angle is an aberration. The issue is that the extra we clear the waste, the extra individuals preserve dumping as a result of they assume it’s the system.

That’s the reason we’re rising enforcement. Final 12 months, we recorded over 1,000 arrests and prosecuted 447 offenders. A few of them are serving jail phrases, whereas others are doing neighborhood service,” he added.

The LAWMA boss disclosed that recent rounds of arrests and prosecutions had continued since January, noting that 4 miscreants had been arrested on Monday for indiscriminate refuse dumping within the Ladipo space of the state.

“We now have taken them for prosecution at Oshodi, the place we’ve got the duty drive. We’ll proceed with enforcement and advocacy, and in addition proceed to clear any waste that leaks out of the established waste administration system onto the highways. By regulation, each resident is anticipated to maintain their atmosphere clear,” he stated.

Gbedegesin additionally introduced the return of environmental well being officers to strengthen grassroots monitoring and enforcement, revealing that approval had been granted for the recruitment of 300 officers.

He stated 77 officers had already been engaged, bringing the entire variety of environmental well being personnel to 377 to be deployed throughout wards within the state.

“We now have challenges when it comes to personnel, which Mr Governor permitted final 12 months. To realize environment friendly monitoring and enforcement, we have to decentralise and be current in each ward,” he stated.

In response to him, the officers would conduct house-to-house sensitisation, implement environmental laws and apply sanctions the place mandatory, together with the revival of the previous “wole wole” system for unclean environment.

“If the entrance of your own home just isn’t clear, the previous ‘wole wole’ system will apply. We additionally need to introduce a system the place environmental well being officers assist us preserve correct data,” he added.

He additional disclosed that LAWMA deliberate to introduce incentives, together with awards for the cleanest wards and native governments, to encourage voluntary compliance and promote environmental cleanliness throughout Lagos.

PUNCH Metro had reported in November 2025 that residents throughout the state raised issues over a doable illness outbreak as heaps of refuse littered main roads in a number of areas.