Falana Challenges Lagos Govt, Says No Law Backs Sanitation Movement Restriction

Falana Challenges Lagos Govt, Says No Law Backs Sanitation Movement Restriction

Human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) has urged residents of Lagos State to ignore government-imposed movement restrictions during the monthly environmental sanitation exercise, insisting that there is no law backing such limitations.

Falana maintained that Lagosians are legally free to go about their normal activities during the exercise, stressing that any restriction of movement remains voluntary and not enforceable under Nigerian law. His position comes amid renewed enforcement of the sanitation programme scheduled for Saturday, April 25, between 6:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m.

However, the Lagos State Government has doubled down on its stance, insisting the sanitation exercise remains valid and binding. In a statement issued ahead of the exercise, the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, dismissed claims that the programme had been nullified by any court ruling.

According to Wahab, the state government had secured a favourable judgment at the Court of Appeal, which affirmed that laws supporting the implementation and enforcement of environmental sanitation are constitutional. He urged residents to disregard what he described as misinformation and to fully comply by staying indoors to clean their surroundings.

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The sanitation exercise was formally reintroduced by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on March 14, when he, alongside Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat and other officials, monitored cleanup activities in Agege Motor Road, Mushin. The move marked a return to a policy that had been largely inactive for years.

Despite this, Falana argued that the reintroduction of movement restrictions contradicts constitutional provisions on freedom of movement and revives outdated, military-era practices. He emphasized that, based on information available to him, the government had not legally reinstated compulsory sanitation with enforceable restrictions.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the restriction of movement is voluntary and not compulsory,” Falana stated, adding that residents remain at liberty to conduct legitimate activities during the exercise.

He acknowledged that the government continues to encourage voluntary participation, urging residents to clean their environments and cooperate with waste management authorities, particularly the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), for proper waste collection and disposal.

Falana also pointed to the state’s significant budgetary allocation—reportedly about N236 billion in the 2026 fiscal plan—for waste management, drainage infrastructure, and environmental protection. He argued that such investments should be sufficient to drive compliance without infringing on citizens’ rights.

The disagreement highlights a broader legal and civic debate over movement restriction during sanitation in Lagos, with stakeholders divided on whether public health measures should override constitutional freedoms.

Residents across the state remain caught between official directives and legal interpretations, as the sanitation exercise continues to generate controversy over enforcement and compliance.

Falana Challenges Lagos Govt, Says No Law Backs Sanitation Movement Restriction