Seven persons were on Tuesday arraigned before the Special Offences (Mobile) Court sitting in the Ikeja Magisterial District for allegedly assaulting enforcement operatives of the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) during an environmental enforcement operation.
The defendants, Olamilekan Abdullahi (21), Akeem Olamilekan (24), Frank Tom (25), Sakiru Jamiu (20), Emmanuel Abiodun (41), Olarewanju Onyowale (35), and Taiwo Yusuf (30) were arrested on March 8, 2026, along the Moshalashi Jimoh axis of Lagos Island during a routine monitoring exercise against indiscriminate waste disposal.
They were arraigned on March 10 in a five-count charge filed by the prosecution in the case of Attorney-General of Lagos State v. Olamilekan Abdullahi & Six Others.
The charges border on conduct likely to cause a breach of peace, indiscriminate dumping of refuse at an unapproved location, failure to patronise an approved Private Sector Participant (PSP) waste operator, obstruction of officers in the discharge of their duties, and assault.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The court granted each of them bail in the sum of ₦200,000 with two responsible sureties. One of the sureties must be a recognised community leader, while the other must be a gainfully employed relative.
The case was adjourned until April 24, 2026, for trial.
The defendants were remanded in a correctional facility pending the fulfilment of their bail conditions.
Meanwhile, LAWMA warned that assaulting or obstructing enforcement personnel constitutes a serious offence under Lagos State laws and reiterated its commitment to enforcing environmental regulations across the state.
Reporting By Innocent Onoh