Falana urges Lagos residents to ignore movement restriction for sanitation
Lagos Residents Urged to Ignore Movement Restrictions During Sanitation Exercise
LAGOS — Femi Falana, a prominent legal advocate, has called on residents of Lagos State to ignore any movement restrictions associated with the monthly environmental sanitation exercise. He stressed that there is no legal basis for limiting citizens’ movement during this period.
Falana maintained that residents should feel free to continue their daily activities, emphasizing that no current law mandates any movement restrictions during the sanitation exercise. His statements diverge sharply from those of the Lagos State Government, which reiterated on Friday that the sanitation program would proceed as scheduled. Authorities advised residents to remain indoors on Saturday, April 25, from 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. to participate in the initiative.
In a statement shared via X, Tokunbo Wahab, the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, dismissed assertions that a recent court ruling nullified the sanitation exercise. “No court pronouncement has invalidated this exercise. The state proceeded to the Court of Appeal, and judgment was delivered in our favor. The court affirmed that the laws used for the implementation and enforcement of environmental sanitation are legitimate and constitutional,” Wahab said.
He implored residents to disregard what he characterized as misinformation concerning the exercise’s legality. The monthly sanitation initiative was reintroduced by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on March 14, during a cleanup event on Agege Motor Road in Mushin, which included Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat.
Falana criticized the policy, particularly the practice of imposing restrictions on movement for several hours on the last Saturday of each month, labeling it as unconstitutional and inconsistent with prior court rulings. He asserted that there has been no formal reinstatement of mandatory movement restrictions by the state government.
“From the information at my disposal, the Lagos State Government has not reintroduced compulsory monthly sanitation exercise,” Falana stated. “Residents are at liberty to carry on their legitimate business during the sanitation exercise, as the government has not imposed any restrictions on their movement.”
He clarified that any movement restrictions are voluntary, not mandatory. While he acknowledged the government’s ongoing encouragement for residents to clean their surroundings during the designated period, he maintained that policies limiting freedom of movement are outdated in a democratic society.
“The Lagos State Government cannot afford to continue with the military legacy of restricting the movement of citizens,” he said, highlighting that the state’s commitment to environmental management is reflected in its budget, which allocates N236 billion for waste management, drainage development, and environmental protection in the 2026 budget.
