The Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, has clarified that there is no law authorising restriction of movement during the state’s monthly environmental sanitation exercise, warning that residents should not be harassed or arrested for moving around.

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Wahab made the clarification on Saturday in a post on his verified X handle while responding to an enquiry by a social media user, @faveoautos, who sought clarification on the penalty for movement during the sanitation exercise after alleging that officers at the Ikeja Police Station were enforcing a restriction.

“For clarity, there is no restriction on movement during the monthly environmental sanitation exercise. Consequently, arresting anyone on the basis of movement during the exercise is unlawful and does not represent the position or policy of the Lagos State Government,” the commissioner wrote.

He explained that the monthly environmental sanitation exercise was reintroduced to restore and strengthen the culture of environmental cleanliness across Lagos State, but stressed that the enabling law does not empower any authority to impose a stay-at-home order on residents.

According to Wahab, the initiative is backed by the Lagos State Environmental Management and Protection Law, 2017, which provides the legal framework for promoting environmental sanitation without restricting residents’ freedom of movement.

“The monthly environmental sanitation exercise was reintroduced primarily to restore and strengthen the culture of environmental cleanliness across the state.

” The initiative is backed by the Lagos State Environmental Management and Protection Law, 2017. However, the law does not provide for any restriction on movement during the exercise,” he said.

The commissioner added that the government’s objective is to encourage voluntary participation and instil a sense of civic responsibility among residents, rather than rely on arrests or coercive enforcement.

“Our focus is on encouraging Lagosians to embrace environmental sanitation as a civic responsibility and a shared commitment to maintaining a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable Lagos, rather than relying on enforcement measures,” he added.

The clarification followed reports of alleged arrests of residents during Saturday’s sanitation exercise despite the absence of any officially approved restriction on movement.

Wahab’s statement is expected to allay concerns among residents and reinforce the government’s position that while environmental sanitation remains a civic obligation, enforcement must be carried out within the limits of the law. (The Nation)