Court Jails Man to 13 Months Community Service for Sanitation Violations

A Special Offences Mobile Court sitting in Oshodi has sentenced a 48-year-old man, Makinde Rasaq, to a total of 13 months of community service for multiple sanitation-related offences.

Rasaq was arrested last week on Lagos Island while driving a Honda SUV loaded with refuse. On Monday, the court convicted him after he pleaded guilty to seven charges and ordered that the cumulative sentence be served as community service at Kirikiri.

The offences included breach of peace, indiscriminate dumping of waste, failure to patronise accredited Private Sector Participants (PSP) operators, illegal transportation of waste without a valid licence, and obstruction of government officers in the discharge of their duties.

The convict was apprehended on Saturday night while allegedly dumping refuse illegally at the Tinubu Fountain area in Central Lagos. Authorities suspect he may be part of a syndicate deliberately dumping waste across the state to promote the narrative that Lagos is dirty.

After his arrest, Rasaq was initially detained at the Adeniji Adele Police Station before being handed over to officers of the Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) for prosecution by legal officials from the Lagos State Ministry of Justice.

Reacting to the conviction, Managing Director of the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, said the judgment sends a strong signal of zero tolerance for indiscriminate waste disposal.

“The message of this conviction is clear — Lagos State will not tolerate illegal dumping of refuse,” he said.

Gbadegesin urged residents to dispose of waste properly by patronising LAWMA-accredited PSP operators, in line with the state’s environmental laws.

He further advised residents to desist from unhealthy waste disposal practices, noting that while waste generation is unavoidable, proper management through authorised operators is essential for effective service delivery and a cleaner environment.

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