Edino Chubiyo Cornelius 
Lagos Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab
LAGOS, Nigeria – The Lagos State Government has clarified that there is no restriction on movement during the monthly environmental sanitation exercise, declaring that any arrest based solely on movement is unlawful.
The clarification came on Saturday after the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, responded on X to a resident who alleged that someone had been arrested and taken to the Ikeja Police Station during the sanitation exercise. Wahab said such arrests do not reflect government policy. “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,” he said.
Wahab explained that the monthly sanitation exercise was reintroduced to restore a culture of environmental cleanliness and is backed by the Lagos State Environmental Management and Protection Law, 2017. However, he stressed that the legislation does not authorise restrictions on residents’ movement during the exercise.
The commissioner said the government’s priority is to encourage voluntary participation rather than 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 said.
About the Author
Mirian Gom 
Abah Felicity 