The Lagos State Government has apprehended 37 individuals comprising 23 men and 14 women for allegedly assaulting environmental enforcement officers and unlawfully removing official seals during a sanitation operation in the Kodesoh area of Ikeja.

The incident occurred on Saturday, May 24, around 2:00 p.m., when operatives from the Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) and the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC) were conducting a routine patrol. The officers advised street traders to remove their goods from walkways and roadsides and to cease indiscriminate dumping of refuse.

According to reports, some traders resisted the directive, assaulted a KAI officer, and forcibly seized his mobile phone. In response, the enforcement team sealed all stalls erected on the walkways and roadside.

Despite the enforcement action, the sealed stalls were unlawfully reopened by the traders, prompting a swift return by officials, who resealed the structures and apprehended those responsible.

Tokunbo Wahab, the Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, confirmed the arrests in a statement posted on his official X handle on Friday. He stated, “Twenty-three male and fourteen female persons were arrested on Thursday for breaking the government seal and assaulting Lagos government enforcement agents after committing environmental infractions at Kodesoh, Ikeja. They will all be prosecuted per the provisions of the state’s relevant laws.”

The suspects are expected to face charges under Lagos State environmental and public order laws, as the government reiterates its zero-tolerance stance on defiance of lawful directives.

This incident underscores the ongoing challenges faced by enforcement agencies in maintaining environmental standards and public order in Lagos State.