Lagos Courts Impose Fines, Community Service for Careless Waste Disposal
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By Egbodo Queen
In a concerted effort to combat careless waste disposal in Lagos State, the courts have taken stringent measures, imposing fines and community service on offenders.
The Environmental Special Offences Court, under the leadership of Magistrate Mcdavies Amore, is cracking down on individuals engaging in reckless waste disposal across various locations in the state.
Offenders now face a ₦30,000 fine per person or the alternative of community service.
Recent proceedings in the Magistrate Court in the Ikoyi area of Lagos State resulted in twenty-six individuals being sentenced to community service.
They were found guilty of indiscriminately dumping waste in different parts of the state, contributing to the environmental degradation of Lagos.
This action follows an earlier verdict by a magistrate’s court in Oshodi, where twenty-nine people were sentenced to fines and community service for engaging in haphazard waste disposal throughout the metropolis.
The Environmental Special Offences Court is determined to curb this behavior and maintain a cleaner environment.
These environmental offenders were apprehended by the enforcement team of the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) in collaboration with the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC).
They were found disposing of refuse in unauthorized locations during the prohibited hours of 9.30 p.m. to 7 a.m.
Commenting on these verdicts, Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, the Managing Director of LAWMA, emphasized the zero-tolerance policy of the administration of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu regarding environmental offenses.
He stated that the era of carelessness and disregard for the environment is over and that those captured, under any pretext, will face the full force of the law.
This enforcement action is set to continue as a perpetual effort to ensure cleaner surroundings.
Gbadegesin also urged residents to actively support environmental sanitation efforts by avoiding acts of careless waste disposal, ensuring they have waste receptacles at home, and patronizing only accredited Private Sector Participants (PSP) operators.
He warned that there would be no escape for those who defy these regulations. The courts and LAWMA are committed to maintaining a clean and sustainable environment in Lagos State.