The Lagos Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC), on Thursday, said it arrested 2,212 persons for various environmental offences in 2020, while 296 of them were prosecuted by the legal department.
The Corps Marshal of LAGESC, Mrs Gbemisola Akinpelu, in a statement issued by the agency’s Head of Public Affairs Unit, Mr Adebayo Kehinde said offenders were arrested for crossing the expressway, trading at illegal places, hawking and dumping refuse in unauthorised places.
Others were nabbed for operating illegal mechanic workshops, illegal barbing salons, suya spots, illegal parking and other environmental offences.
NAN reports that she said the suspects were arrested in different parts of the state, particularly at the metropolis.
The Corps Marshal said 2020 was a bit challenging for LAGESC operations due to COVID -19 and the End SARS protest, but the agency tried its best to ensure that indiscipline was checked.
“The advent of COVID-19 and the Endsars protests impacted negatively on the earlier scheduled enforcement plan for the year 2020, as it encouraged unnecessary indiscipline across the board in the state.
“However, the agency was able to advance into new frontiers and specifically key to the traffic management and environmental sustainability strategies of Mr Governor.
“In the process, 2,212 defaulters were arrested, 34 petitions received.
“The environmental department was able to issue a total number of 69 abatement notices, carry out 325 compliance visits, 24 enforcements and 72 public complaints were received,” she added.
