Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, made the clarification in a post on X on Saturday, responding to a user who alleged that people were fined and detained at Ikeja Police Station for moving during the exercise.
“For clarity, there is no restriction on movement during the monthly environmental sanitation exercise. Consequently, arresting anyone on the basis of movement during the exercise is unlawful and does not represent the position or policy of the Lagos State Government,” Wahab stated.
He explained that the exercise was reintroduced to strengthen the culture of cleanliness across the state and is backed by the Lagos State Environmental Management and Protection Law, 2017.
However, the law does not mandate restrictions on movement.Wahab emphasized that the government’s focus is on encouraging residents to see sanitation as a civic duty rather than relying on enforcement.
“Our focus is on encouraging Lagosians to embrace environmental sanitation as a civic responsibility and a shared commitment to maintaining a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable Lagos,” he added.
