The administration of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of the All Progressives Congress in Lagos State is taking sanitation issues seriously with offenders being punished.
The offenders in question
The Samuel Ilorin Magistrate’s Court, Ogba, has sentenced no fewer than 33 Lagos residents to different terms of imprisonment and community service for violating the state Environmental Sanitation Laws 2017.
The offenders were said to have been apprehended by operatives of the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC) on Tuesday, January 30, 2018.
They were reportedly apprehended at Ikeja, Iyana-Ipaja, Mushin and Iyana-Isolo areas, among others, for illegal street trading, indiscriminate dumping of refuse and illegal crossing of the highways.
The Magistrate, Ogundare Olayiwola, was said to have sentenced each of the accused on one count of indiscriminate dumping of refuse to five months’ imprisonment, with an option of N20,000 fine.
“Those arraigned on one count of illegal street trading were sentenced to five months’ imprisonment, with an option of N20,000 fine.
“Those on one count of illegal crossing of highways were sentenced to five hours’ community service, with an option of N10,000 fine,” the Head of the Public Affairs Unit, LAGESC, Alabi Rahmat, added in a statement.
The Executive Secretary, LAGESC, Mrs. Idowu Mohammed, according to the statement, said the agency would not relent in arresting environmental defaulters in line with the state government policy of sanitising the environment.
She, however, appealed to Lagosians to always obey the laws of the state in their own interest.