24 Persons Arrested in Lagos for Reclaiming Wetland

Segun James

Twenty four persons have been arrested while trying to reclaim a government dedicated wetland in Lagos.

The State Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources in a statement said that the men were arrested while engaging in reclamation of a wetland at Mosafejo Mowo in Badagry.

This is as the government has sealed the premises of a firm of private developer that was constructing on the wetland.

The ministry in a statement signed by Mr. Kunle Adeshina, said the raid by security agents and officials from the department of Conservation and Ecology followed the non compliance of the company with several stop-work notices served on them. The statement added that officials of the ministry observed the series of encroachment during routine monitoring of wetland in the state and on the March 1, 2021, a stop work order was served on the company followed by a renewal on two different occasions.

“A stop-work order dated June 29, 2021, was issued and served, but due to the failure of the company to present required approved documents and its refusal to stop work at the site, another stop-work order was served on April 8, 2021, and this was followed with messages forwarded to the representatives of the company,” the statement said.

The statement, however, noted that the company responded to the second stop-work order on the July 5, 2021, by forwarding a survey plan claiming that the survey plan did not indicate that the site is a wetland, explaining that the land was bought from a third party and the title document was still being processed.

“Without obtaining the wetland clearance approval, Environmental Impact Assessment (E.I.A), and drainage clearance approval, the activities at the site is in contravention of the Environmental Management and Protection Law 2017 of Lagos State and National Environmental Impact Assessment Cap E12 LFN 2004,” the statement emphasised.

The statement decried the alarming rate of wetlands loss in the state, calling for an urgent halt of the indiscriminate destruction of natural habitats, induced by unregulated human activities.

“It had become necessary for all stakeholders to join hands for the protection of wetlands in Lagos State, considering the key roles played by wetlands in sustaining the environment.”

The arrested persons have been handed over to security agents and would be arraigned after due investigations.