Recently, there has been unconfirmed news of the planned resumption of the monthly environmental sanitation policy of Lagos State, by which all residents are forced to remain indoors for three hours on the last Saturday of every month, following this development.
Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, has approached the Supreme Court to restrain the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwoolu, from imposing movement restrictions on Lagosians during the planned monthly environmental sanitation exercise.
In a Motion on Notice filed at the registry of the Supreme Court today July 22, 2024, Adegboruwa seeks an order of injunction to restrain Sanwoolu and the other respondents from taking steps to restrict his movement and that of other residents of Lagos State, on the last Saturday or any other day of every month for the purpose of observing any environmental exercise/activity pending the hearing and final determination of the appeal pending in the Supreme Court. He also seeks an order restraining the respondents from arresting and detaining him and other residents of Lagos State on the last Saturday or any other day of every month whatsoever, for the purpose of enforcing compliance with the environmental sanitation policy of Lagos State pending the hearing and final determination of the appeal pending before the Supreme Court.
Fifteen grounds were listed in support of the application signed by Oluwatosin Adesioye, Esq., Deputy Head of Chambers (Litigation) of the plaintiff’s
On March 16, 2015, the Federal High Court, Lagos presided over by the Honourable Justice Mo.hammed Idris (as he then was) struck down the environmental sanitation programme of Lagos State and further restrained the Inspector-General of Police and all police officers from enforcing the said policy through indiscriminate arrest of citizens for non-compliance. Although the Lagos State Government appealed against the judgment, it nonetheless abolished the unpopular policy.
favour of the Applicant pending the determination of the Applicant’s appeal. If this application is refused and the said appeal is eventually upheld, the res before the Court of Appeal, which is the constitutional right of the Applicant would have been grossly abused and eroded. That there is need therefore to grant this application in order not to render nugatory the decision of the Court of Appeal in the eventual success of the Applicants’ appeal. If the Applicant’s application is not granted pending the hearing and determination of his appeal, the Applicant will suffer great and untold hardship, irreversible loss of his freedom, damage and injustice as the Respondents may proceed to lavishly restrict his constitutionally guaranteed right. Having waited since March 2016 till July, 2024, a period of over eight years without derogating the Applicant’s free movement and liberty in Lagos State, the Respondents will not suffer any prejudice or hardship if they are made to be restrained and await the final determination of this appeal. It will cause greater hardship to the Applicant if the instant application is refused.
No date has been fixed for the hearing of the motion.
