LAWMA Enforcement Team sweeps Lagos Island, seizes carts, arrests one

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

The Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) has seized several waste carts and arrested one individual during an early-morning enforcement operation on Lagos Island, following sustained surveillance of unauthorised waste disposal activities in the area.

The operation, carried out at dawn by LAWMA enforcement officers, was part of a coordinated effort to disrupt unregulated waste movement and prevent the return of illegal dump sites in locations previously cleared by the Authority.

The seized carts were intercepted at Isale-Eko, while a 42-year-old man, Muritala Suleiman from Zamfara State, was arrested at about 1:31 a.m. for illegally dumping waste at Tinubu Square, Lagos Island.

LAWMA said the early-hour operation was strategic, noting that illegal dumping is often carried out under the cover of darkness and low visibility to evade enforcement.

Speaking on the exercise, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of LAWMA, Muyiwa Gbadegesin, said the sustained enforcement drive was aimed at strengthening deterrence and protecting stabilised sites from renewed abuse.

He explained that Waste Investigation, Surveillance and Enforcement operatives have been strategically deployed across the state to eliminate persistent black spots and ensure environmental sustainability along major corridors.

LAWMA urged residents to comply strictly with approved waste disposal channels and support ongoing efforts to keep public spaces clean and safe.