SAN Faults Lagos Government Over Movement Restriction During Sanitation Exercise
A human rights lawyer, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa (SAN), has criticised the Lagos State Government over the restriction of movement enforced during the monthly environmental sanitation exercise held on Saturday, April 25, 2026.
In a statement issued from Lekki, Lagos on Saturday, the senior lawyer described the policy requiring residents to remain indoors as “illegal and unconstitutional,” arguing that it violates citizens’ fundamental right to freedom of movement.
According to him, “there is currently no law in force in Lagos State which permits the government to restrict the movement of persons for the purpose of enforcing monthly environmental sanitation.” He challenged the state government to make public any law it claims supports the restriction.
Adegboruwa also questioned the legality of the enforcement method used during the exercise, stating that residents were subjected to intimidation and harassment.
He stated that “in forceful enforcement of this illegal policy, the government deployed all its arsenals, including law enforcement agencies, LASTMA, health officers and even area boys (agberos) to harass, intimidate and threaten innocent citizens.”
The lawyer further faulted the government’s reliance on what he described as an “unknown law,” claiming authorities have refused to publish the 2017 health law being referenced, “For the avoidance of any doubt whatsoever, I challenge the Lagos State Government to publish such a law, if at all it exists,” he said.
Adegboruwa also criticised the broader governance approach to environmental management in the state, arguing that cleanliness should not be enforced through coercion. He added that “it is archaic and anachronistic to claim to position a state for global recognition and at the same time cling to relics of dictatorial policies of the inglorious military era.”
According to him, Lagos, as a megacity, should prioritise modern waste management systems rather than compelling residents to stay indoors for sanitation purposes. He maintained that the directive for residents to remain indoors during sanitation hours is unlawful, insisting that “no resident of Lagos State should suffer any penalty or disability for ignoring such illegal policy.”
The monthly environmental sanitation exercise in Lagos has existed for decades as a government-led clean-up initiative, usually held on the last Saturday of every month.
However, the aspect involving restriction of movement (“stay-at-home order”) was suspended in 2016 after a series of court rulings declared it unconstitutional.
A Federal High Court had earlier held that “there is no law in force in Lagos State by which any citizen could be kept indoors, compulsorily” during sanitation hours.
In 2016, the Court of Appeal further reinforced this position, declaring that restricting movement for sanitation violated citizens’ constitutional rights and that no valid law supported such confinement.
Following these judgments, the Lagos State Government discontinued the compulsory lockdown-style sanitation exercise in late 2016.
The exercise was later reintroduced in March–April 2026 under Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, but with assurances that it would be guided by legal frameworks and improved waste management policies. The government stated that enforcement would focus on compliance with environmental laws, though debates have continued over whether movement restrictions are still being applied in practice.
