The Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) has intensified its enforcement campaign against illegal waste disposal on Lagos Island, seizing multiple waste carts and arresting a suspect during a pre-dawn operation carried out after targeted surveillance of unauthorised dumping activities in the area.
The operation, which took place in the early hours of Wednesday, followed weeks of monitoring by LAWMA’s enforcement and surveillance teams, who tracked the movement of informal waste handlers and identified emerging illegal dump points across parts of the Island. Acting on intelligence gathered, officers moved in at daybreak to disrupt unregulated waste transportation networks and prevent cleared locations from reverting into refuse sites.
In a statement issued by the agency’s Director of Public Affairs, Mukaila Sanusi, LAWMA confirmed that several waste carts were intercepted at Isale-Eko during the coordinated operation. The enforcement exercise, he said, was specifically designed to dismantle informal disposal routes and stop the return of illegal dumping activities in areas previously sanitised by the authority.
The statement further disclosed that a 42-year-old man, identified as Muritala Suleiman from Zamfara State, was apprehended at approximately 1:31 a.m. while allegedly dumping refuse unlawfully at Tinubu Square on Lagos Island. LAWMA explained that early-morning surveillance remains a critical part of its enforcement strategy, as illegal dumping is typically carried out under low-visibility conditions to evade detection and regulatory action.
The agency used the opportunity to call on residents, traders, and business operators to adhere strictly to approved waste disposal systems, warning that the continued use of informal and unauthorised channels undermines environmental sanitation efforts and contributes to the spread of illegal dump sites across the city. LAWMA stressed that community cooperation is essential to sustaining clean public spaces and protecting already rehabilitated locations from renewed abuse.
Commenting on the operation, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of LAWMA, Dr Muyiwa Gbadegesin, said sustained enforcement remains central to the agency’s long-term sanitation strategy. He explained that the continuous deployment of Waste Investigation, Surveillance and Enforcement operatives across Lagos is aimed at eliminating persistent waste “black spots” and preventing the re-emergence of illegal dumping corridors.
According to him, enforcement activities are not limited to arrests and seizures but are part of a broader environmental management framework designed to secure long-term behavioural change. He noted that stabilised locations often relapse into dump sites when monitoring weakens, making consistent presence and deterrence essential for sustainability. Gbadegesin added that strategic deployment of enforcement teams across major transport routes and commercial hubs has become a key tool in protecting rehabilitated areas.
LAWMA, the statutory body responsible for solid waste management and environmental sanitation in Lagos State, was established by the state government to address the mounting challenges of waste generation driven by rapid urbanisation, population growth, and expanding economic activity. Over the years, the authority has expanded its operational scope to respond to the growing complexity of waste management in Africa’s largest city.
The agency’s mandate covers the full waste management chain, including collection, transportation, treatment, recycling, and final disposal, with the overarching goal of creating a clean, healthy, and sustainable urban environment. In pursuit of this objective, LAWMA has transitioned from a purely government-run waste collection system to a public-private partnership model that integrates private sector operators into service delivery.
Through this model, licensed private waste managers now support LAWMA’s operations across residential, commercial, and industrial zones, helping to improve service efficiency, coverage, and responsiveness. The authority continues to oversee regulation, enforcement, and coordination, ensuring compliance with environmental standards and waste management regulations across the state.
The latest enforcement action on Lagos Island reflects LAWMA’s broader strategy of combining surveillance, regulation, community engagement, and private sector participation to tackle illegal dumping and improve urban sanitation. As the agency steps up monitoring and enforcement, it has reiterated its commitment to building a cleaner Lagos through sustained institutional action and active public cooperation.
