By Ghazali Ibrahim
The Lagos State Government has arrested 10,634 environmental offenders across the state within the last year as part of efforts to improve sanitation, enforce environmental laws, and maintain public order.
Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, disclosed this during the 2026 Ministerial Press Briefing held at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre in Alausa, according to a statement issued on Sunday by the ministry’s Director of Public Affairs, Kunle Adeshina.
Wahab said the arrests resulted from intensified enforcement activities carried out by agencies under the ministry in line with the state’s environmental sustainability agenda.
A breakdown of the figures showed that 5,715 people were arrested for illegal highway crossing, while 3,886 others were apprehended for offences such as street trading, environmental pollution, and cart pushing. Another 931 persons were arrested for waste management-related violations, while 102 individuals were apprehended for open defecation.
The commissioner said the enforcement drive forms part of the government’s commitment to building a cleaner, healthier, flood-resilient, and environmentally sustainable megacity under the THEMES Plus Agenda.
“The ministry also intensified enforcement activities through its agencies, leading to the arrest and prosecution of environmental offenders, removal of illegal traders and squatters, and issuance of environmental abatement notices across the state,” Wahab said.
He also highlighted progress in waste management and environmental sustainability, noting that Lagos signed 12 new partnerships aimed at strengthening environmental initiatives and the state’s waste-to-wealth programme.
Among the projects commissioned during the period is the Ikosi Waste-to-Energy Biodigester Plant located within the Ketu Fruit Market. According to Wahab, the facility converts organic waste into electricity, cooking gas, and agricultural fertiliser.
“The plant processes 0.5 tonnes of organic waste per day, generating 30 kWh of electricity daily for lighting and cold storage, delivering an estimated annual emission saving of 9,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent,” he stated.
The commissioner said the state maintained its ban on Styrofoam and single-use plastics, adding that recycling and recovery initiatives removed 137,530.94 kilograms of PET plastics from the environment.
On climate action, Wahab said Lagos retained its position as Nigeria’s leading state in climate governance for the second consecutive year and successfully hosted the 2025 Lagos International Climate Change Summit, which focused on financing Africa’s coastal resilience and blue economy opportunities.
He further revealed that more than 100 air quality monitoring sensors had been installed across the state, while cleaner fish processing technology was introduced in Makoko to reduce smoke emissions and improve public health.
Addressing flood control efforts, the commissioner said the ministry maintained and cleaned 18 primary drainage channels covering 76 kilometres and secondary channels spanning 178 kilometres. Emergency flood abatement operations were also conducted in flood-prone communities covering about 210 kilometres.
Wahab said the achievements recorded in sanitation, environmental enforcement, waste management, climate action, and drainage infrastructure underscore the commitment of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration to improving residents’ quality of life.
