Hundreds arrested in Lagos for open defecation despite many public toilets
Lagos State has arrested at least 275 people for defecating in public places, even though there are thousands of functional public toilets available. Tokunbo Wahab, the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, revealed the arrests happened in several areas including Lagos Island, Berger, and Oshodi. He emphasized that open defecation is illegal and that the state has a dedicated task force patrolling daily. The government continues to enforce the law to discourage this behavior.
What happened
- Tokunbo Wahab stated that 275 residents were arrested for open defecation across Lagos.
- The state has over 8,710 functional public toilets, with the total rising above 35,000 when including facilities in eateries and petrol stations.
- About 70 arrests occurred on Lagos Island, 62 in Berger, and 43 in Oshodi.
- An open defecation task force patrols daily at 3 am, 6 am, and 7 am to catch offenders.
- A joint media campaign was launched by the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency and Ogun State to end open defecation along the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway.
