July 28, 2023

In continuation of its concerted efforts to rid the highways of street trading and hawking, the Lagos Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC) has effected the arrest of more than 25 hawkers in syndicated raids across the State.

The Corps Marshal of the Agency, CP Gbemisola Akinpelu (retd), who made this disclosure at the Command Headquarters, Bolade-Oshodi, said, “The continuous enforcement activated by the Agency against street traders, hawkers have yielded impressive outcomes as arrests and arraignments are made on a daily basis by virtue of our established mandate to eradicate environmental infractions in the State”.

Highlighting the significance of the operation, Akinpelu revealed that more than 25 arrests were made at Cele, Igando, Iyana-Ejigbo, Ikotun, Iyana-Ipaja, Egbeda, Agege areas of the State by the Agency’s Special Squad, adding that the exercise will be continuous.

Admonishing environmental defaulters to desist from trading in traffic, on highways, roads, streets, setbacks, lay-bys, kerbs, medians, road verges, drainage slabs, or pedestrian bridges, the Corps Marshal assured that there will be no hiding place for defiant traders in the habit of flouting the State’s environmental laws.

Akinpelu also stressed the importance of pedestrians’ safety as she urged for the appropriate use of pedestrian bridges strategically constructed on major highways in the State to mitigate ‘hit and run’ incidents by speeding motorists.

Underscoring the importance of residences and buildings in the State to be in possession of valid waste collection contracts by accredited LAWMA-PSP operators, the Corps Marshal read the riot act to defaulters on the need to retrace their steps as the Courts empower the Agency to enforce non-payment of waste bills for onward prosecution by means of arrest.

She finally enjoined residents in the State to desist from channelling sewage into the gutters and drains which constitutes health and environmental hazards, vowing to deal decisively with defaulters in accordance with the established law.