No restriction on movement during sanitation exercise – Lagos commissioner

The Lagos State Government has reiterated that residents are free to move during the monthly environmental sanitation exercise, clarifying that there is no policy restricting movement and that anyone arrested solely for travelling during the exercise is being detained unlawfully.

The clarification was issued on Saturday by the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, in response to a post on X questioning an alleged arrest linked to the sanitation exercise at Ikeja Police Station.

An X user, Faveo Autos, had asked: “What is the fine for movement during environmental…” Responding, Wahab said the state government had never authorised restrictions on movement during the monthly sanitation exercise and stressed that arrests made on that basis do not reflect government policy.

“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,” he said.

Wahab explained that the monthly environmental sanitation exercise was reintroduced to strengthen the culture of environmental cleanliness across Lagos and is backed by the Lagos State Environmental Management and Protection Law, 2017. He noted, however, that the legislation does not include any provision restricting residents’ movement during the exercise.

“The monthly environmental sanitation exercise was reintroduced primarily to restore and strengthen the culture of environmental cleanliness across the state. The initiative is backed by the Lagos State Environmental Management and Protection Law, 2017. However, the law does not provide for any restriction on movement during the exercise,” he said.

The commissioner added that the government’s approach is to encourage voluntary participation in environmental sanitation 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, rather than relying on enforcement measures,” he said.