The Lagos State Government has defended the reintroduction of the monthly environmental sanitation exercise, insisting that it is lawful and does not violate residents’ fundamental rights to movement.
In a statement issued by the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Lawal Pedro, the government faulted what it described as “incorrect narration” in sections of the media regarding a Court of Appeal ruling on the exercise.
Pedro stated that the subsisting judgment of the Court of Appeal of Nigeria in suit number CA/L/381/2015, delivered on November 23, 2021, upheld the legality of environmental sanitation in Lagos State.
According to him, the court ruled that the exercise is backed by law and does not breach the fundamental rights of residents.
The case was instituted by legal practitioner, Ebun Adegboruwa, who challenged the sanitation policy.
However, Pedro noted that Adegboruwa, dissatisfied with the appellate court’s decision, proceeded to the Supreme Court of Nigeria, where the matter is still pending.
“The judgment of the Court of Appeal remains valid and subsisting, as it has not been set aside by the Supreme Court,” Pedro said, adding that there is no known order restraining the state from conducting the exercise.
He further clarified that an earlier 2019 judgment of the Court of Appeal in the case of Faith Okafor versus Lagos State Government cannot be regarded as the current legal position, noting that it has effectively been superseded by the 2021 ruling.
On concerns about restriction of movement, the Attorney-General explained that the state has only introduced controlled movement during sanitation hours, rather than a total lockdown.
Residents, he said, are free to move through roads and streets not affected by ongoing cleaning activities, while only specific areas undergoing sanitation may be temporarily closed to protect both residents and sanitation officials.
The government maintained that the policy strikes a balance between environmental safety and the protection of citizens’ rights.
Reporting by Wahab Akinlade