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Lagos to Arrest, Prosecute Buyers of Goods From Illegal Roadside Traders
Lagos to Arrest, Prosecute Buyers of Goods From Illegal Roadside Traders
The Lagos State Government has announced a tougher approach to illegal street trading, warning that residents who patronise unauthorised roadside traders will now face arrest and prosecution alongside the traders themselves.
The enforcement, which will be carried out through the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), is expected to commence next week as the state intensifies efforts to tackle illegal trading, indiscriminate waste disposal, obstruction of public infrastructure and other environmental violations across Lagos.
LAWMA Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dr Muyiwa Gbadegesin, disclosed the development on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, at the Authority’s headquarters.
According to him, the new measure is backed by Section 151, Subsection 2 of the Lagos State Environmental Management and Protection Law 2017, which does not only prohibit the sale of goods in certain unauthorised public spaces but also places responsibility on individuals who purchase such goods.
Gbadegesin explained that the decision to target buyers was driven by the need to address the demand that continues to sustain illegal roadside markets across the state.
He said enforcement could no longer focus exclusively on traders when their activities continued to thrive because of patronage from residents and motorists.
“The Law does not only prohibit illegal street trading. It also makes it an offence to buy goods exposed or offered for sale in prohibited places.
“From next week, anyone found buying from traders operating on roadsides, medians, walkways, setbacks or other unauthorised spaces will be arrested, alongside the traders, and prosecuted in accordance with the law.”
He further disclosed that anyone convicted of the offence could face a fine of N90,000, six months imprisonment, or both, depending on the circumstances of the case.
The LAWMA boss said the renewed enforcement was designed to break what he described as a cycle in which illegal trading and environmental violations return shortly after enforcement operations.
“Our objective is to stop the cycle that allows illegal trading and indiscriminate waste disposal to return after enforcement operations. Traders occupy public spaces because people continue to patronise them.”
Gbadegesin stressed that residents must understand that patronising illegal markets is not merely a matter of personal convenience, but an action that contributes directly to the persistence of environmental and public safety problems.
He explained that roadside and median markets often become sources of indiscriminate waste disposal, with refuse generated by traders and customers frequently ending up in drainage channels, on roads and in other public spaces.
Such activities, he said, can obstruct drainage infrastructure, contribute to flooding, worsen traffic congestion, damage public facilities and create conditions capable of threatening public health.
The latest warning comes against the backdrop of the Lagos State Government’s sustained campaign to reclaim public spaces from illegal traders and prevent the return of cleared markets and dumping hotspots.
The state government has repeatedly warned traders against occupying walkways, road medians and drainage corridors, particularly in areas where such activities interfere with traffic movement and the free flow of stormwater.
In February 2025, the Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, also raised concerns over continued trading on walkways, warning that the practice could damage public infrastructure and contribute to the obstruction of drainage systems.
Beyond enforcement, Gbadegesin said LAWMA was also working to strengthen waste collection services in inner streets and communities around locations previously identified as dumping hotspots.
He said service gaps would be identified and addressed, while deliberate dumping, the return of refuse to previously cleared locations and patronage of illegal markets would continue to attract sanctions.
He urged residents, traders and businesses to make use of recognised markets and approved waste collection channels, stressing that environmental responsibility must be treated as a collective obligation.
According to him, the objective is not simply to remove traders from roadsides, but to create a sustainable system in which public spaces remain accessible, waste is properly managed and environmental standards are consistently maintained.
The government’s renewed crackdown also builds on previous joint enforcement operations by the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC) and LAWMA.
In June 2025, the agencies cleared illegal street traders from the median of Ojo-Alaba Road in an operation aimed at restoring environmental order and improving safety for road users.
Three individuals were arrested during the operation for allegedly obstructing enforcement activities and were expected to face charges under relevant Lagos State laws.
The clearance was part of the state’s broader campaign to reclaim roads, medians and other public spaces from activities considered harmful to environmental sanitation and public safety.
With the latest policy, however, the enforcement net is set to become wider. Rather than concentrating solely on those selling goods in prohibited locations, the state intends to go after the buyers whose patronage keeps the illegal markets commercially viable.
Gbadegesin therefore urged Lagos residents to reconsider where and how they make purchases, warning that personal convenience should not override the collective need for a clean, safe and orderly environment.
He said LAWMA would continue to combine enforcement with stakeholder engagement and improved waste collection services as the state pushes towards eliminating open dumping and maintaining cleaner public spaces across Lagos.
The message from the authorities is clear: the crackdown will no longer stop at the roadside trader. Those who buy from unauthorised roadside markets may now find themselves facing the law as well.
