THE Lagos State Government has announced plans to enforce penalties for illegal dumping of refuse and littering within the state, warning residents that such actions may result in a three-month jail term or a fine of N250,000.

The state Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, made this known in a post on his X handle on Wednesday, June 4.

“During the Lagos State Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources Media Briefing yesterday, we made it clear that Lagos will no longer tolerate deliberate environmental abuse.

“From July 1, full enforcement of the ban on Single Use Plastics. Offenders who dump refuse illegally, litter the streets, or deface our environment will face stiff penalties, up to ₦250,000 fine or 3 months in jail,” Wahab stated in the post.

He disclosed that the government has arrested over 3,000 offenders, warning that anyone caught dumping refuse illegally or littering the environment would be dealt with in line with the provisions under the state sanitation and environmental law.

He further stressed that the law on cart pushers and public defaecation still stands, adding that “illegal street trading would not be tolerated.”

“This is about saving our environment, for us and the generations to come,” he stated.

He urged Lagos residents to celebrate the coming Sallah with cleanliness and responsibility, while stressing the importance of healthy waste disposal in the Lagos metropolis.

“Bag your waste, don’t dump in drains or medians, and hand over refuse to your assigned PSP operator,” Wahab urged.

He further warned that dumping waste in drains or roads causes flooding, harms public health, and spoils the city’s appearance.

Wahab urged Lagosians to utilise public facilities provided by the state to avoid open defecation, calling on squatters occupying pedestrian bridges, where open defecation and criminal activities occur, to vacate.

He also warned developers and builders against dumping construction materials on drains or roads, stating that offenders would face prosecution and have their structures sealed.

In a recent investigation, The ICIR spotlighted how poor sanitary conditions heighten cholera outbreaks and compromise the public health safety of Lagosians, and stressed that the state government appeared not to be enforcing its environmental law, as a majority of its provisions are openly flouted.