Lagos Taskforce Arrests 50 Suspected Criminals During Monthly Sanitation Enforcement

The chairman of the Lagos State Environmental and Special Offenses Unit (Taskforce), Adetayo Akerele, has announced the arrest of 50 suspected criminals during a statewide enforcement operation aimed at ensuring compliance with the monthly environmental sanitation exercise.

The disclosure was made by Taskforce spokesperson Abdulraheem Gbadeyan in a statement released on Sunday.

According to Akerele, the arrests were made during coordinated operations across several areas identified for persistent environmental violations, including Ikeja, Iyana-Ipaja, Abule-Egba, Agege, Iyana-Oworo, Lagos Island, the Lekki-Ajah Expressway, Ijora Causeway, Ijora Underbridge, and Iddo.

The chairman noted that while there was a noticeable level of compliance with restrictions on movement and business activity, some residents did not fully participate in the sanitation exercise. In a separate operation along the Lekki-Epe Expressway, 50 additional persons were detained for allegedly engaging in activities that disrupted public order during the sanitation period.

"Some suspects were implicated in acts threatening public infrastructure, including billboards and road signage. All suspects will be charged to court accordingly," Akerele said.

He explained that the sanitation exercise is designed to address offenses such as street trading, indiscriminate waste disposal, open defecation, and other environmental violations. Akerele stressed that sustained enforcement and public cooperation are critical to maintaining environmental order, and reaffirmed that offenders would be prosecuted under the Lagos State Environmental Protection Law, 2017.

The chairman also advised young people to use sanitation hours productively rather than playing street football, and urged them to actively participate in keeping their environment clean.

Reiterating the government's zero-tolerance stance, Akerele emphasised that consistent compliance is essential to making Lagos safer, cleaner, and more liveable for all residents.