Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, has dismissed claims that residents are prohibited from moving during the state’s monthly environmental sanitation exercise.
The clarification came on Saturday after an X user, Faveo Autos, alleged that an individual had been arrested and taken to the Ikeja Police Station for moving during the exercise and asked about the applicable penalty.
Reacting to the claim, Wahab stated:
“There is no restriction of movement during the monthly environmental sanitation exercise in Lagos State. Any arrest made solely on account of movement is illegal and not in line with the policy of the Lagos State Government.”
He noted that the sanitation programme was brought back to promote a cleaner environment and strengthen hygiene practices across Lagos.
The commissioner explained that while the initiative is supported by the Lagos State Environmental Management and Protection Law, 2017, the law does not empower authorities to restrict residents’ movement during the exercise.
Wahab further said the government’s approach is to encourage voluntary compliance and public participation instead of enforcing movement restrictions.
He urged Lagos residents to see environmental sanitation as a shared responsibility aimed at creating a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable state.
