A man, whose name has not been made known to the media, has been remanded in prison for assaulting an employee of the Lagos State Ministry of Environment and Water Resources after being caught defecating on a road median at Berger, along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
The suspect was reportedly in the act when the employee, accompanied by officials from the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC), confronted him.
In an attempt to resist arrest, the man attacked the official, injuring him in the process.
“He was caught just like others but resisted arrest and decided to fight them. He hit one of the officials with an object on the head, which caused him to bleed,” a source familiar with the incident told The Punch.
Despite his resistance, the suspect was eventually overpowered by the officials. The incident occurred in the early hours of Tuesday.
Confirming the incident, Tokunbo Wahab, the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, stated that the suspect has been remanded in prison and will appear in court again on October 29.
“One individual was arrested at Berger for injuring one of the civilians employed by the Lagos State Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources while on duty. He has been remanded in prison custody and will appear again in court on the 29th of October,” Wahab shared via his social media platforms.
This incident follows the recent establishment of a task force by the Lagos State government to crack down on those defecating in open spaces around the Ojodu-Berger area. Since the task force’s inception, at least 50 people have been arrested for open defecation and urination along the axis.
The task force was formed a week after the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) and the Ogun State Environmental Protection Agency (OGEPA) launched a joint media campaign to ban open defecation along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, particularly focusing on the median from OPIC Plaza to Otedola Bridge.
The initiative aims to enhance public health and environmental sustainability by preventing the spread of cholera and other communicable diseases, while also restoring the aesthetic appeal of the corridor, known as a gateway to Lagos.
