Alimosho opens environmental court, warns residents over poor waste disposal

By Abdul-Rouf Sofiyat Dasola

The Alimosho Local Government Council has issued a stern warning to residents about poor environmental sanitation, announcing the establishment of a special ecological court to prosecute individuals who violate waste management regulations.

The move comes amid growing complaints from residents across several communities in Alimosho Local Government Area (LGA) over persistent piles of refuse, which many claim have littered the environment for months due to the absence of Private Sector Participation (PSP) waste collection services.

Residents alleged that since August 2025, refuse collection vehicles have been largely unavailable in many areas, prompting concerns about public health and environmental safety.

An inquiry into the matter was conducted on 24 November 2025 by the council’s Environmental Services Department following repeated complaints and appeals to the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA).

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Due to the lack of waste collection services, some residents reportedly resorted to using informal waste collectors, commonly referred to as Aboki, while others disposed of refuse on abandoned land or into drainage channels.

“For about four months since I moved to Alagutan, there has never been a PSP vehicle in my area,” a resident, Bosede Adam said.

Similarly, residents of Imala Street in the Idimu area raised concerns about indiscriminate dumping by informal collectors, which they said has worsened environmental conditions and heightened security challenges, including cases of theft.

Addressing the issue, the Chairman of Alimosho Local Government, Hon. Akinpelu Ibrahim Johnson, represented by his Vice Chairman, Hon. Adebisi Francis assured residents that the council is working toward a solution.

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Speaking during a Community Development Committee (CDC) meeting held on 16 October 2025 at the council secretariat, the vice chairman acknowledged the widespread sanitation problems and pledged swift intervention.

However, officials from the Department of Environmental and Health Services at the Alimosho council secretariat in Akowonjo offered a different perspective, attributing the problem largely to residents’ failure to pay environmental sanitation dues.

According to Mr Sanitary Awojana, PSP operators withdraw services from areas where residents default on monthly payments.

“It is those who fail to pay their environmental bills that the PSP operators stop servicing,” Awojana explained.

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Another environmental officer, Sanitary Odutola, noted that LAWMA and PSP operators work closely to ensure effective waste management, but non-payment by residents threatens the sustainability of the system.

“Some residents owe as much as ₦700,000 in environmental dues. How do you expect the PSP to function under such conditions?” she said.

To address ongoing violations, the council has now inaugurated an environmental court within the local government to prosecute defaulters and offenders.

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“The court has been established to try anyone who fails to pay environmental dues or commits any environmental offence within Alimosho LGA,” Sanitary Awojana confirmed.