A 48-year-old man has been sentenced to thirteen months of community service by a Lagos court for committing multiple environmental sanitation offences. The Special Offences Mobile Court in Oshodi delivered the verdict on Monday, December 23, 2024.
Details of the Offence and Arrest
Makinde Rasaq was arrested last week on Lagos Island while driving a Honda SUV loaded with refuse. He was caught in the act of illegally dumping the waste at the Tinubu Fountain in Central Lagos on a Saturday night. Following his arrest, he was initially detained at the Adeniji Adele Police Station before being transferred to officers of the Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) for legal processing.
Court Proceedings and Sentence
The accused faced a seven-count charge before the court. The charges included breach of peace, indiscriminate dumping of wastes, non-patronage of PSP operators, illegal transportation of wastes without a valid licence, and obstruction of officers from performing their duties. Rasaq pleaded guilty to all charges.
The court subsequently sentenced him to varying terms of imprisonment, but offered the option of community service for all offences combined. He will serve a total of 13 months of community service at the Kirikiri Correctional Centre.
Official Reaction and Public Warning
Speaking on the conviction, the Managing Director of the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, stated that the ruling sends a strong message of zero tolerance for improper waste disposal. He warned all residents to ensure they dispose of waste properly by using only LAWMA-accredited Private Sector Partnership (PSP) operators, as mandated by the state's environmental laws.
Gbadegesin reiterated that while waste generation is unavoidable, residents must desist from unwholesome disposal methods. He emphasized that patronizing official PSP operators is crucial for better service delivery and a cleaner Lagos. Authorities suspect Rasaq may be part of a syndicate deliberately dumping refuse to create a false narrative that Lagos is dirty.
