Seven people were brought before the Special Offences (mobile) court in Ikeja for allegedly attacking staff of the Lagos State Waste Management Authority, LAWMA.
The incident happened while the workers were out on their usual rounds enforcing environmental laws.
A statement by the Lagos State government saud the defendants which includes Olamilekan Abdullahi (21), Akeem Olamilekan (24), Frank Tom (25), Sakiru Jamiu (20), Emmanuel Abiodun (41), Olarewanju Onyowale (35), and Taiwo Yusuf (30) were caught by LAWMA staff on March 8th at the Moshalashi Jimoh area of Lagos Island.
The team was there at the time to monitor people dumping trash illegally.
The case, officially known as Attorney General of Lagos State v. Olamilekan Abdullahi & 6 Others, was taken to the Special Offences (Mobile) Court on March 10, 2026.
The prosecution charged the suspects with a five-count offence, including conduct likely to cause breach of peace, indiscriminate dumping of refuse at an unapproved location, failure to patronise an approved Private Sector Participant (PSP) waste operator, obstruction of officers in the discharge of their duties, and assault.
All seven defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges when the case was read before the court.
The court adjourned the matter to April 24, 2026, for trial.
In the meantime, each defendant was granted bail at N200,000.
The defendants must present two sureties to sign for them. One must be a recognized community leader and the other a relative with a steady job. Until they meet these bail requirements, they will be held in a correctional center.
LAWMA made it clear that obstruction or assault of enforcement personnel constitutes a serious offence under the laws of Lagos State.
The agency warned that anyone trying to stop their officers from doing their job would be dealt with strictly through the law.
“Obstruction or assault of enforcement personnel constitutes a serious offence under the laws of Lagos State,” the statement stressed, reiterating that acts capable of undermining environmental enforcement operations would be firmly addressed through appropriate legal channels.
