No fewer than 19 persons arrested for various environmental sanitation offences have been convicted by a Magistrate Court sitting at Bolade, Oshodi, Lagos State, following prosecution by the Lagos Waste Management Authority.
This was disclosed in a statement by the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the agency, Muyiwa Gbadegesin, on Friday.
According to him, 17 of the offenders, apprehended for open urination and defecation, were sentenced to pay a fine of N40,000 each or serve one month imprisonment.
Gbadegesin further stated that two other offenders, identified as Obinna Nzugbe and Ifeanyi Ibe, were convicted for indiscriminate dumping of refuse and sentenced to five months imprisonment each after pleading guilty to the charges.
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He added that another defendant, Daniel Alfred, who was arraigned alongside them for the same offence, pleaded not guilty, with the court adjourning his case until April 3, 2026, for trial.
Highlighting the significance of the ruling, Gbadegesin said, “Not less than 17 persons, arrested for open urination and defecation, along with two others apprehended for indiscriminate dumping of refuse, have been convicted by the Magistrate Court sitting at Bolade, Oshodi, after prosecution by LAWMA.”
He stressed that, “The convictions underscored the Authority’s commitment to sustained enforcement of environmental laws across the state as open defecation, public urination, and indiscriminate dumping of refuse pose serious public health, environmental and sanitation risks.”
The LAWMA boss urged residents to adhere strictly to sanitation regulations and utilise approved waste disposal channels, warning that violators would continue to face prosecution in accordance with the law.
