THE Lagos State government, through one of its agencies in charge of waste management, said it has identified illegal black spots across the metropolis and made efforts to dislodge them.
The Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr Tokunbo Wahab, disclosed this during the Ministerial briefing marking the fifth year achievements of the Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration, in Lagos
He said that a member of environmental offenders were arrested for various environmental offences with 1,016 being prosecuted by the Mobile Magistrate’s court and sentenced to community service at various of 1,081 locations in the state, with an option of fine.
On its flood abatement programme and drainage cleaning, the commissioner said that a total of 34 primary channels, totaling approximately 115 kilometers length were approved and executed, Most of these primary channels span across all Local Government Areas and effectively drain several catchment areas simultaneously while 144 Secondary Collectors covering 125.7km spread throughout the 20 Local Government Areas were cleaned,” he said
In 2024, he said that 39 primary channels with a total length of approximately 117.76 km have been approved for execution this year.
“While for the maintenance of secondary collectors, about 281 collector drains totaling approximately 242.5km, spread across the 20 Local Government Areas of the state have been approved for cleaning.
“The ministry has also ramped up its activities on the state of the environment leading to improved and timely waste clearing efforts all over the state.
“The state of the two main dumpsites of Olusosun and Soulous has also experienced some forms of rehabilitation, leading to increased capacity,” he said.
He disclosed that the Lagos State Government also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with JOSPONG Group from Ghana on solid and liquid waste treatment solutions in the state.
“The collaboration between the Lagos State Government and JOSPONG technical teams will re-engineer the solid waste management system in Lagos State and ensure creation of job opportunities in the Waste to Wealth value chain.
“In this same vein, we are also at an advance stage of signing an MOU with the Harvest Waste limited for Waste to Energy,” he said
The commissioner also mentioned that the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) undertook 367 enforcement activities.
He said the state government has launched manhunt for the ring leaders
who rented out the Dolphin underbridge apartments.
Wahab said that, to his surprise, the ring leaders, parading as landlords, who was on run, also added electricity supply to the makeshift apartments under the bridge.
He recalled that the KAJ/LAGESC operatives carried out an operation that unearthed a major illegal housing settlement constructed under the Dolphin Bridge Ikoyi.
“An unbelievable 80 number rooms partitioned 10×10 and 10×12 and a container used for different illegal activities were also discovered.
“All the structures have been dismantled and a total of 26 miscreants who lived under the were arrested while efforts are being intensified to arrest the ring leaders who rented out the underbridge apartments which also add electricity supply,” he said.
Apart from that, he said the operatives in conjunction with the State Task Force on Special Offences have cleared the under bridges in Lagos, which have become abode to undesirable elements.
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