Lagos court jails 67-year-old lawyer for environmental offences

By Olasunkanmi Akoni

A Lagos State Special Offences (Mobile) Court has sentenced a 67-year-old lawyer, Taiwo Abidemi, to seven months’ imprisonment for violating the state’s environmental laws.

Abidemi was convicted after pleading guilty to a three-count charge bordering on breach of peace, indiscriminate dumping of refuse at an unauthorised location and failure to engage the services of an approved Private Sector Participant (PSP) waste operator.

According to a statement by the Head of the Public Affairs Unit of the Lagos State Special Offences (Mobile) Court, Jide Ajibola, the offences were committed on Thursday, July 9, 2026, along Guinness Road in the Agege area of Lagos.

The prosecution, led by Adetunji B.E. on behalf of the Attorney-General of Lagos State, presented evidence before the court, after which the defendant pleaded guilty to all three charges.

Delivering judgment, Chief Magistrate Adefioye F.J. held that the law applies equally to all residents, regardless of their status or profession.

“The law does not grant exemptions based on status or profession. Environmental protection is a collective responsibility, and the court will not hesitate to convict anyone who undermines public health and safety in the state,” the magistrate said.

The court found Abidemi guilty on all three counts and sentenced him to one month’s imprisonment on the first count and three months each on the second and third counts. The sentences are to run concurrently.

Reacting to the judgment, the Chairman of the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC), Major Olaniyi Olatunbosun Cole (rtd.), represented by the agency’s Corps Marshal, Major Tokunbo Adekunle (rtd.), said the conviction sends a strong message that environmental laws will be enforced without exception.

“The ruling is a strong signal to residents and professionals across the state. The Lagos State Government remains committed to enforcing environmental laws without fear or favour,” he said.

Adekunle added that no individual is above the law when it comes to protecting public health and public infrastructure, stressing that building a sustainable city requires collective responsibility from both government and residents.

He reaffirmed that the Mobile Court would continue its daily sittings across Lagos to ensure the swift prosecution of environmental and related offences, and urged residents to comply with environmental regulations in the interest of a cleaner and healthier environment.