Lagos Declares War on Roadside Waste, Unveils ‘Waste Police’ 

The Lagos State Government has intensified efforts to tackle indiscriminate waste disposal across the metropolis, declaring zero tolerance for waste dumping on roads and announcing plans to establish a special “Waste Police” made up of transport union members to monitor compliance.

The move forms part of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s directive for the emergency evacuation of waste on Lagos roads and the broader drive to improve environmental sanitation across the state.

Speaking at a stakeholders’ meeting held on Saturday at Alausa, the Commissioner for Transportation, Mr. Oluwaseun Osiyemi, inaugurated a Special Task Force to monitor roads, bus stops, garages and lay-bys against illegal waste disposal.

He also charged members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers and the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria to serve as environmental watchdogs in their respective areas of operation.

Osiyemi described the meeting as a call for stronger collaboration between government agencies and transport unions in addressing environmental challenges.

“Our beautiful city is being challenged by indiscriminate refuse disposal and environmental abuse. We cannot fold our arms while people carry waste from their homes and dump it on roads, medians and public spaces. This is totally unacceptable,” he said.

The commissioner stressed that while the government would continue to enforce environmental laws, the support of transport unions remained crucial because of their extensive presence across the state.

He directed transport operators to ensure that parks and garages under their control are kept clean at all times and to discourage indiscriminate trading and improper waste disposal within their operational areas.

Osiyemi further disclosed that the planned Waste Police would be constituted from members of NURTW and RTEAN across all local government areas to monitor motor parks and adjoining communities and prevent indiscriminate dumping of refuse.

He added that the Ministry of Transportation would commence enforcement activities to ensure proper maintenance of motor parks and garages as well as compliance with waste disposal regulations.

Also speaking, the Deputy Chief of Staff to the Governor, Mr. Sam Egube, noted that road transport operators in many parts of the world partner with governments to protect and monitor transport infrastructure.

He urged stakeholders to support the campaign against improper waste disposal.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Hon. Sola Giwa, called on the transport unions to take full responsibility as partners in waste management by ensuring compliance at parks and garages across the state.

The Managing Director of the Lagos State Waste Management Authority, Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, commended the unions for supporting the reintroduced monthly environmental sanitation exercise and urged them to sustain the collaboration.

According to him, effective waste management requires collective responsibility, noting that LAWMA alone cannot address the challenge.

Gbadegesin revealed that LAWMA evacuates about 13,000 tonnes of waste daily across Lagos, while transport unions facilitate the movement of an estimated 22 million commuters every day.

He said the vast network of transport workers across the state would significantly enhance efforts to promote proper waste disposal practices, monitor public spaces and report environmental violations for prompt action.

The meeting was attended by directors from the Ministry of Transportation and LAWMA, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Transportation and Logistics, Hon. Hassan Adekoya, representatives of LAWMA Enforcement, and leaders of NURTW and RTEAN.

Police Deny Sunday Igboho’s Role in Oyo Kidnap Victims Release

The Oyo State Police Command has officially dismissed claims circulating online that Yoruba Nation activist, Chief Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, played any role in the release of kidnapped victims in Igboho, Oorelope Local Government Area of Oyo State. Despite widespread reports that captives regained freedom shortly after Igboho issued a two-hour ultimatum to suspected kidnappers, the police said there is no official confirmation that the victims have been rescued, nor any evidence linking Igboho to any form of intervention. The controversy erupted after Igboho, in a viral video, issued a two-hour ultimatum to Fulani community leaders demanding the immediate release of abducted family members or face direct confrontation. Shortly afterwards, unverified online reports claimed the captives had regained freedom, sparking celebrations and emotional reactions among residents, with videos showing people singing and dancing in the streets.

The Oyo State Police Command countered the narrative, insisting there was no evidence confirming any rescue operation linked to the activist. “The Nigeria Police Force has officially debunked claims that the hostages have been safely released,” the command said, adding that the Oyo State Commissioner of Police had not confirmed Igboho’s involvement in any operation. Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Olayinka Ayanlade, described the circulating reports as “unsubstantiated” and urged the public to await verified information. The Command also cautioned against relying on unverified social media reports, stressing that official investigations were still ongoing. The police confirmed they had obtained Igboho’s viral video and were reviewing it as part of ongoing investigations into his threat of action against suspected kidnappers.

READ ALSO:

• Ekiti Election: Aisha Yesufu Blasts EFCC, Calls for Decriminalisation of Vote Buying
• Sunday Igboho Fumes as Kidnappers Kill Pregnant Woman, Ransom Bearer in Oyo
• Fuji Icon Kollington Ayinla Is Alive, Not Dead — Mgt Debunks Death Rumours

The abduction had earlier thrown the Igboho community into distress after armed men reportedly invaded the area at night, abducted members of a family, and demanded a ransom initially pegged at N300 million before allegedly reducing it to N150 million during negotiations. Tension escalated further amid conflicting claims that a pregnant woman and a ransom courier may have been killed during the incident, deepening public concern. Igboho, in widely shared videos, condemned the rising wave of kidnappings in the region and issued stern warnings to those he accused of harbouring criminal elements. In his ultimatum, delivered at the palace of the Alepata of Igboholand, Oba Joel Olawuwo, Igboho addressed Fulani leaders directly: “I give you people two hours to release the woman, her children and her sibling who were kidnapped in the middle of the night. If I don’t see them within the next two hours, we will face each other”. The activist also questioned the pattern of abductions in the area, claiming that victims of the kidnappings were predominantly Yoruba residents.

As of the time of reporting, uncertainty still surrounds the fate of the abducted family, with conflicting accounts persisting across both local and online platforms. While some reports claimed the victims had been freed and celebrations erupted in parts of the community, the Oyo State Police Command maintained its position that the circulating reports remain unverified and should not be treated as official. This is not the first time Igboho’s role in a rescue operation has been disputed. The development comes amid growing concerns over insecurity in Oyo State, particularly the continued captivity of 39 schoolchildren and seven teachers abducted in Oriire Local Government Area. On May 15, armed men attacked three schools in the Ogbomoso axis of the state, with two people reportedly killed in one of the affected institutions.

Police Deny Sunday Igboho’s Role in Oyo Kidnap Victims Release

Sunday Igboho Fumes as Kidnappers Kill Pregnant Woman, Ransom Bearer in Oyo

The worsening wave of violent crime across Oyo State has taken a grim turn with the reported killing of a pregnant woman allegedly abducted by suspected kidnappers, despite ongoing ransom negotiations. The incident, which has sparked outrage across the state, reportedly occurred in Igboho, Oorelope Local Government Area, where a pregnant woman, her children and a sibling were allegedly seized during a midnight raid by gunmen. According to reports, the abductors initially demanded N300 million for their release before reducing the ransom to N150 million. However, despite negotiations, the pregnant woman was allegedly killed alongside an individual who had taken ransom money to facilitate her release, while at least one victim remained in captivity.

The development triggered a furious reaction from Yoruba Nation activist, Chief Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, who accused the kidnappers of unleashing terror on residents of the community and vowed that such acts would no longer be tolerated in his ancestral home. Addressing Fulani leaders in Igboho in Yoruba, the activist expressed outrage over the killings and questioned how such an incident could occur in the town. “You can’t be kidnapping in my father’s land and expect me to keep quiet. I’m an original indigene of Igboho land,” he declared. “You kidnapped a pregnant woman, and the person who brought the ransom, you killed him and killed the pregnant woman, for what? In Igboho? You people are not even afraid of me in my father’s land?” he added. “This should be the last, and it must end. My father has urged me to address you patiently. What I’m fighting in other people’s land, you can’t come here and be doing it in my father’s land”.

READ ALSO:

• Fuji Icon Kollington Ayinla Is Alive, Not Dead — Mgt Debunks Death Rumours
• Ronaldinho, 46, Comes Out of Retirement to Join Serie C Club
• “Our Lives Are in Danger”: El-Rufai’s Wives Raise Alarm Over Surveillance, Phone Tapping

Questioning the pattern of abductions in the area, Igboho noted: “Since you have been kidnapping here, have they ever abducted Fulani? No, it’s the Yorubas they have been kidnapping, and it should not be like that. This should be the last, and let us stay in harmony”. Consequently, Igboho issued a two-hour ultimatum to Fulani leaders in Igboho, demanding the immediate release of the remaining victims. “I give you people two hours to release the woman, her children and her sibling who were kidnapped in the middle of the night. If I don’t see them within the next two hours, we will face each other,” he warned.

Igboho further claimed that investigations had traced the victims’ whereabouts to several locations linked to prominent individuals within the community. “When we first tracked that number, it led us to Alhaji’s residence and they removed them from there in the middle of the night to Bani’s compound. They took them to Baale’s compound, where they currently are,” he alleged. Rejecting any possibility of the victims’ family paying the ransom demanded by the abductors, Igboho insisted that Fulani residents should collectively shoulder the responsibility of securing the captives’ release. “We don’t have any ransom to pay. You Fulanis should raise that ransom among yourselves and pay because we don’t have such money to pay. They started from N300 million and brought it down to N150 million,” he declared. “Fulanis should contribute the ransom and get the woman, children and her sibling released. If they are killed, we will have a problem,” he warned.

Hours after the ultimatum elapsed, the victims regained their freedom, prompting celebrations across the town. Videos circulating on social media showed residents singing, dancing and rejoicing over the return of the victims. The victims, said to include a pregnant woman, her children and a sibling, were reportedly released after days in captivity. However, details surrounding the circumstances of their release remained unclear. The incident had heightened anxiety in Igboho and surrounding communities, where residents had expressed concern over recurring cases of kidnapping, killings and attacks. The abduction had generated widespread outrage after reports emerged that armed men invaded the family’s residence during a midnight raid. The development came amid growing concerns over insecurity in Oyo State, where residents have repeatedly raised the alarm over cases of abduction, killings and attacks on rural communities, prompting renewed calls for decisive action from security agencies.

Sunday Igboho Fumes as Kidnappers Kill Pregnant Woman, Ransom Bearer in Oyo