Seventeen persons arrested for open urination and defecation, along with two others apprehended for indiscriminate dumping of refuse, have been convicted by the Magistrate Court sitting at Bolade, Oshodi, after prosecution by the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA).
The Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer of LAWMA, Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin made this known in a statement.
He said that the court sentenced the seventeen offenders to pay a fine of N40,000 each or serve one month imprisonment.
Dr. Gbadegesin stated further that for indiscriminate dumping of refuse, Obinna Nzugbe and Ifeanyi Ibe were also sentenced to five months imprisonment each after pleading guilty to the charges.
Meanwhile, Daniel Alfred, who was arraigned alongside them for indiscriminate dumping of refuse, pleaded not guilty, and his case was adjourned to 3rd April 2026 for trial.
” The convictions underscored the Authority’s commitment to sustained enforcement of environmental laws across the state as open defecation, public urination, and indiscriminate dumping of refuse pose serious public health, environmental and sanitation risks”, he said.
Gbadegesin enjoined residents to comply with sanitation regulations and utilise approved waste disposal channels, adding that violators would continue to face prosecution in accordance with the law.
Reporting By Innocent Onoh