The Lagos Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC), says it arrested 2,212 persons for various environmental offences in 2020, while 296 of them were prosecuted by the legal department.

The Corps Marshal of LAGESC, Mrs Gbemisola Akinpelu, disclosed this in a statement in Lagos on Thursday by the agency’s Head of Public Affairs Unit, Mr Adebayo Kehinde.

Akinpelu, a retired Commissioner of Police, said that offenders were arrested for crossing the expressway, trading at illegal places, hawking and dumping refuse in unauthorised places.

READ ALSO: LAGESC serves 30 buildings warning notices on sanitation

Others were nabbed for operating illegal mechanic workshops, illegal barbing salons, suya spots, illegal parking, and other environmental offences.

She said the suspects were arrested in different parts of the state, particularly in the metropolis.

The Corps Marshal said that 2020 was a bit challenging for LAGESC operations due to COVID -19 and Endsars protest, but the agency tried its best to ensure that indiscipline was checked.

“The advent of COVID-19 and the Endsars protests impacted negatively on the earlier scheduled enforcement plan for the year 2020, as it encouraged unnecessary indiscipline across the board in the state.

“However, the agency was able to advance into new frontiers and specifically key to the traffic management and environmental sustainability strategies of Mr Governor.

“In the process, 2,212 defaulters were arrested, 34 petitions received.

“The environmental department was able to issue a total number of 69 abatement notices, carry out 325 compliance visits, 24 enforcements and 72 public complaints were received,” she said.

READ ALSO: EFCC urges court to inspect money seized from ex-NNPC GMD in Kano

Akinpelu stated that as part of new frontiers in the enforcement business, the agency was able to correct major environmental nuisance in both government and private estates in Lagos State in 2020.

She said that areas, where such corrections were carried out, include Isolo Housing Estate, a private estate on Isolo road, Millenium Estate, Oko-Oba, Oniru Estate, and Ire-Akari Estate.

According to her, in 2020, the corps also expanded its operational divisions from 10 to 21 for proactive and reactive efficiencies, removing all major infractions at different areas of the state.

She said that the agency would redouble its efforts to continue to win the government and public confidence in its strides to make the environment more friendly and conducive for sustainable human habitation, and for business to thrive.

Vanguard News Nigeria