Lagos State Environmental Taskforce has arrested 62 homeless individuals during a midnight operation across key parts of the city.
The operation, which took place in the early hours of Friday, May 23, 2025, targeted hotspots on the Island including Victoria Island, Falomo, Osborne, and the environs of Eko Hotel.
The taskforce team, acting on intelligence and routine surveillance, commenced the operation at about 1:30 a.m.
According to the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, who confirmed the operation via a post on X , the move is part of an ongoing cleanup campaign aimed at restoring sanity and deterring illicit occupation of public spaces.
“In continuation of the agency’s cleanup enforcement operation to rid the State of criminal elements, operatives of the Environmental Taskforce team set out at about 0130hrs on Friday, 23rd May, 2025,” Wahab stated.
He added that the individuals arrested included 59 males and 3 females, all of whom were found sleeping or loitering along major streets and strategic locations.
The commissioner emphasized that the government would not condone illegal habitation of public infrastructure and spaces.
“All suspects will be charged to court accordingly,” Wahab noted, reinforcing the administration’s commitment to law and order.
While the operation has been praised by some for enhancing public safety, it has also sparked conversations about the need for more humane and long-term strategies to address homelessness in the city.