The Lagos State Government has clarified that there is no restriction on movement during the monthly environmental sanitation exercise, describing any arrest made on that basis as unlawful.

The Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, made the clarification in a post on X on Saturday while responding to a social media user who alleged that someone had been arrested at the Ikeja Police Station during the sanitation exercise.

Responding to the inquiry, Wahab said any arrest for movement during the exercise does not reflect the policy of the state government.

“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.

The commissioner explained that the monthly environmental sanitation exercise was reintroduced to promote environmental cleanliness across the state and is backed by the Lagos State Environmental Management and Protection Law, 2017.

He, however, noted that the law does not provide for any restriction on 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,” Wahab stated.

He added that the government’s priority is to encourage voluntary compliance by residents rather than rely 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.