Lagos Govt to arrest, prosecute buyers patronising roadside traders

The Lagos Waste Management Authority, LAWMA, has warned residents who patronise traders operating in unauthorised public spaces that they will face arrest and prosecution from next week.

The Authority said the enforcement would target people buying goods from traders operating on roads, medians, setbacks, walkways and other prohibited areas across Lagos State.

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of LAWMA, Dr Muyiwa Gbadegesin, disclosed this on Tuesday at the Authority’s headquarters, saying the move was part of a renewed enforcement campaign against illegal trading, indiscriminate waste disposal and obstruction of public infrastructure.

Gbadegesin explained that the enforcement would extend beyond traders to their customers, stressing that the law also makes it an offence to purchase goods displayed or sold in prohibited public spaces.

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“The law does not only prohibit illegal street trading. It also makes it an offence to buy goods exposed or offered for sale in prohibited places. From next week, anyone found buying from traders operating on roadsides, medians, walkways, setbacks or other unauthorised spaces will be arrested, alongside the traders, and prosecuted in accordance with the law,” he said.

He said the enforcement would be carried out in accordance with Section 151(2) of the Lagos State Environmental Management and Protection Law 2017.

According to him, anyone convicted under the provision could face a fine of N90,000, six months’ imprisonment or both.

The LAWMA chief executive said illegal trading along roads and medians often contributes to poor environmental sanitation, as waste generated by such activities is frequently dumped in drainage channels, on roads and other public spaces.

He said the practice also blocks drainage systems, aggravates traffic congestion and poses threats to public health.

“Our objective is to stop the cycle that allows illegal trading and indiscriminate waste disposal to return after enforcement operations. Traders occupy public spaces because people continue to patronise them. Buyers must understand that their actions sustain the problem and that they are also accountable under the law,” Gbadegesin said.

He disclosed that LAWMA was also improving waste collection services in inner streets and communities around locations previously cleared of illegal dumping.

Gbadegesin said service gaps identified in those areas would be addressed, but warned that deliberate dumping, redumping and patronage of illegal markets would continue to attract sanctions.

He urged residents and businesses to patronise recognised markets and dispose of their waste through approved collection channels.

The LAWMA boss stressed that convenience should not be prioritised over public health, environmental sanitation, road safety and the orderly use of shared public spaces.

Gbadegesin reaffirmed the Authority’s commitment to sustained enforcement, engagement with stakeholders and improved waste collection services as part of efforts to eliminate open dumping and maintain a cleaner Lagos.