Lagos Island Crackdown: LAWMA Nets 46 Offenders in Three-Day Anti-Open Defecation Operation"

 

The Lagos State Government has intensified its crackdown on environmental offences, with the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) arresting 46 individuals over three days for engaging in open defecation in key areas of Lagos Island.

According to a statement from LAWMA's Managing Director, Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, the arrests were carried out by the agency's Anti-Open Defecation Squad during early morning surveillance operations from February 20 to 22, 2026. The operations targeted habitual black spots, including Ebute Ero, Marina, CMS, Obalende, and Adeniji Adele.

Breakdown of the arrests:

February 20: 20 offenders apprehended

February 21: 15 additional suspects arrested

February 22: 11 more picked up

The suspects, comprising both males and females, were detained for violating the state's environmental sanitation laws. Open defecation remains a significant public health concern in Lagos, contributing to disease outbreaks, environmental pollution, and poor urban hygiene. The state has been pushing its WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) agenda to eliminate the practice through enforcement, public education, and infrastructure improvements.

This latest sweep follows similar recent actions, including convictions and fines of N40,000 each (or one-month imprisonment) for 17 offenders in related cases prosecuted at the Special Offences Mobile Court in Bolade, Oshodi.

The arrests underscore Lagos' zero-tolerance approach to environmental indiscipline as authorities aim to maintain cleaner public spaces amid rapid urbanization.