LAWMA CONDEMNS ATTACK ON ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS, VOWS TO SUSTAIN CRACKDOWN ON ILLEGAL DUMPING
The Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) has condemned the attack on its enforcement officers during a routine environmental monitoring and compliance operation conducted on Sunday along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway.
Commenting on the incident, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of LAWMA, Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, warned against any form of obstruction of enforcement and other lawful activities of the Authority, following an attack on LAWMA operatives by suspected illegal waste operators at Mazamaza Bus Stop.
According to him, the Authority remains committed to enforcing environmental laws and protecting public infrastructure from activities that undermine sanitation standards across the State.
The incident occurred at Mazamaza Bus Stop, shortly after Festac First Gate, where LAWMA operatives encountered individuals who engaged in illegal waste disposal activities. While carrying out their lawful duties, members of the enforcement team came under attack from suspected illegal waste operators and cart pushers who attempted to obstruct the exercise.
Dr. Gbadegesin described the attack as unacceptable and a direct affront to government efforts aimed at safeguarding public health and maintaining environmental sanitation.
He said: “Our enforcement officers were carrying out their statutory responsibilities when they were attacked by individuals seeking to frustrate government’s efforts to maintain a clean and healthy environment. Such actions are unacceptable and will not deter us from discharging our mandate.”
The LAWMA boss noted that assaults on enforcement personnel constitute a serious offence and warned that anyone found to have participated in the attack or obstructed lawful government operations would face the full weight of the law.
He added that appropriate steps were being taken to identify and apprehend all persons connected with the incident.
Despite the attack, the enforcement team continued its monitoring operation along the corridor, covering Iyana Iba, Okokomaiko, and Agbara, as part of ongoing efforts to curb indiscriminate waste disposal and promote environmental compliance.
Dr. Gbadegesin reiterated that the activities of illegal cart pushers and operators of unauthorised dumpsites remain a major threat to effective waste management, environmental sanitation, and public health.
He urged residents and businesses to patronise only approved waste service providers and dispose of waste through authorised channels in line with extant environmental regulations.
The LAWMA boss emphasised that maintaining a clean and sustainable environment requires collective responsibility, calling on residents to support government efforts by complying with environmental laws and reporting illegal waste disposal activities within their communities.
LAWMA reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining enforcement operations across the State and warned that individuals involved in illegal dumping, unauthorised waste collection, and related environmental offences would continue to face appropriate sanctions in line with the State’s zero-tolerance stance on environmental violations.
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