Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Ebun Adegboruwa, has described the Lagos State Government’s directive restricting movement during the monthly environmental sanitation exercise as illegal and unconstitutional.
In a statement released on Saturday, Adegboruwa condemned the order requiring residents to remain indoors between 6:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. on the last Saturday of every month.
He alleged that security agencies, LASTMA officials, health officers, and other personnel were deployed to harass and intimidate residents, thereby violating their constitutional right to freedom of movement.
According to the senior lawyer, there is currently no valid law in Lagos State that empowers the government to restrict citizens’ movement for environmental sanitation purposes.
He challenged the state government to publicly produce any existing law backing the directive.
Adegboruwa further described the policy as outdated and inconsistent with global best practices, arguing that a modern city like Lagos should adopt effective waste management systems rather than forcing residents indoors.
He said a democratically elected government should not use state power to oppress citizens or compel compliance through intimidation.
The Lagos State Government had earlier directed residents across the five divisions of the state to stay indoors and participate in the sanitation exercise held on Saturday.
Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, said residents were expected to clean their surroundings and clear drainage channels during the exercise.
He added that no court ruling had nullified the monthly sanitation programme.
