Lagos Govt Announces Major Change: No Movement Restriction During Monthly Sanitation

The Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, has clarified that there is no restriction on movement during the state’s monthly environmental sanitation exercise.

Wahab made the clarification on Saturday in a post on his X account while responding to a social media user, Faveo Autos, who sought clarification after alleging that someone had been arrested and taken to the Ikeja Police Station for moving during the sanitation exercise.

The user had asked: “What is the fine for movement during environmental sanitation… Ikeja Police Station?”

Responding, the commissioner said any arrest made solely because a person was moving during the monthly sanitation exercise was unlawful and did not reflect the policy of the Lagos State Government.

He emphasized that there is no law authorizing restrictions on movement during the exercise, adding that such arrests are inconsistent with the state’s environmental sanitation policy.

Wahab explained that the monthly environmental sanitation exercise was reintroduced to promote and strengthen the culture of environmental cleanliness across Lagos.

According to him, the initiative is backed by the Lagos State Environmental Management and Protection Law, 2017, but the law does not empower authorities to restrict residents’ movement during the exercise.

He noted that the government’s focus is to encourage voluntary public participation in keeping the environment clean rather than relying on enforcement or movement restrictions.

The commissioner urged residents to embrace environmental sanitation as a civic responsibility and contribute collectively to building a cleaner, healthier and more sustainable Lagos.