Lagos Arrests Over 6,700 For Pedestrian Bridge Violation
The Lagos State Government has disclosed that over 6,700 individuals were arrested over the past year for failing to use pedestrian bridges across the state.
The Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab, made this known on Friday during a ministerial press briefing held in Alausa, Ikeja.
“Following the enforcement of the use of pedestrian bridges 6,789 persons were arrested for failure to use pedestrian bridges. The Agency also served 192 Environmental Abatement Notices, arrested 150 people for open defecation on the pedestrian bridges who have dislodged and the bridges cleaned up,” Wahab said.
He also revealed that 3,786 street traders, environmental polluters, and cart pushers were arrested and prosecuted within the same period.
To address the challenge of open defecation, Wahab stated that the state government is constructing additional modern public toilets in markets, transport hubs, and informal settlements.
He noted that 150 new public toilets are currently under construction, with an additional 250 toilets being developed through Public-Private Partnerships under the WASH initiative. According to him, these facilities will enhance access to proper sanitation and hygiene across the state.
The commissioner also revealed that the Ministry has inaugurated an Anti-Open Defecation Squad at the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway (Ojodu Berger axis). The squad is tasked with eliminating environmental nuisances such as indiscriminate waste disposal, open urination, and defecation on road medians and pedestrian walkways.
Clean-up exercises have also been conducted at key locations, including the Ikeja Kodesho Bridge, Oshodi-Oke Bridge, and Iyana Iba Interchange Bridge.
Wahab emphasized that the Ministry’s Environmental Enforcement Agency, known as KAI, continues to operate in support of other agencies within the environment sector, ensuring strict compliance with sanitation laws throughout the state.
Lagos Arrests Over 6,700 For Pedestrian Bridge Violation is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
