The Lagos State Government has arrested at least 275 residents across different parts of the state for defecating in public places despite the availability of 8,710 functional public toilets.
PUNCH Metro exclusively gathered this from the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, during an interview with our correspondent at his office on Wednesday.
According to Wahab, the arrests were made between January 1 and the time this report was filed on Thursday.
He disclosed that about 70 persons were arrested on Lagos Island, while 62 offenders were apprehended in the Berger area. Another 43 persons were also caught defecating in open spaces in Oshodi.
Expressing concern over the behaviour of some residents, Wahab stressed that open defecation remains illegal in the state.
“It’s against the law. We have over 8,710 public toilets statewide, and they are functional,” he said.
“When you include toilets in eateries—because Lagos law requires every eatery to have a toilet facility—as well as those in petrol and gas stations, the number rises to over 35,000 toilets.
“But when people continue to engage in bad behaviour, the law must be enforced so they understand the consequences. There is no excuse for it.”
He explained that the state government had set up an open defecation task force that patrols daily to curb the practice.
“That is why we have an open defecation task force. They patrol at 3 am, 6 am and 7 am every day. We make arrests and take offenders to court daily, and we will not stop,” he added.
In 2024, the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency and its Ogun State counterpart launched a joint media campaign to end open defecation along the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway, particularly the median from OPIC Plaza to Otedola Bridge.
The campaign aimed to improve public health and environmental hygiene by preventing the spread of diseases such as cholera and enhancing the appearance of the busy highway, a major gateway into Lagos.
According to a 2022 report by UNICEF, poor sanitation and open defecation continue to contaminate rivers, lakes, soil and underground water sources, creating serious environmental and health risks, particularly for children.
The report noted that more than 100,000 Nigerian children under the age of five die annually from diarrhoea, with about 90 per cent of the cases linked to unsafe water and poor sanitation.
It also revealed that one in four children under five suffers from severe stunting, while one in 10 is wasted, largely due to frequent diarrhoea and other water, sanitation and hygiene-related diseases.
PUNCH.
