Environment commissioner says arrests linked to movement during monthly sanitation are unlawful, urges residents to embrace cleanliness as a civic responsibility……
The Lagos State Government has clarified that residents are free to move around during the state’s monthly environmental sanitation exercise, stating that there is no law restricting movement during the programme.
The clarification was made on Saturday by the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, in response to a complaint raised on X by a user identified as Faveo Autos.
The X user had asked the commissioner about the penalty for moving around during the sanitation exercise, alleging that someone had been arrested and taken to the Ikeja Police Station.
Responding to the inquiry, Wahab said any arrest made solely because an individual was moving during the sanitation exercise is illegal and does not reflect the policy of the Lagos State Government.
“For clarity, there is no restriction on movement during the monthly environmental sanitation exercise. Consequently, arresting anyone on the basis of movement during the exercise is unlawful and does not represent the position or policy of the Lagos State Government,” the commissioner stated.
Wahab explained that the monthly sanitation exercise was reintroduced to promote a stronger culture of environmental cleanliness across Lagos and is supported by the Lagos State Environmental Management and Protection Law, 2017.
He, however, stressed that while the law provides the legal basis for the sanitation initiative, it does not empower authorities to impose movement restrictions on residents during the exercise.
According to the commissioner, the government’s objective is to encourage voluntary participation in keeping the environment clean rather than relying on enforcement or punitive measures.
He said the state wants Lagosians to view environmental sanitation as a shared civic responsibility that contributes to a cleaner, healthier and more sustainable city.
The clarification comes amid growing public discussion over the implementation of the monthly sanitation exercise and the extent of enforcement powers available to authorities.
