Lagos Task Force Smashes ‘Pay-to-Dump’ Syndicate, Arrests 26 for Extorting Cart Pushers and Running Waste Racket

The Lagos State Environmental Task Force has delivered a decisive blow to the “waste mafia” operating in the shadows of the city’s bridges. In a high-stakes raid on Tuesday afternoon, 26 miscreants were apprehended at the Orile Under Bridge for running an extortion racket that turned a public corridor into a massive illegal dumpsite.

Acting on intelligence that the area had been “hijacked” by hoodlums, the task force struck at 2:45 p.m., catching the suspects in the act of facilitating indiscriminate waste disposal. According to the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, the group had created a system where illegal cart pushers paid them “protection fees” in exchange for permission to dump refuse at the bridge.

“Following credible reports, our operatives launched a raid to dislodge these miscreants who were extorting money in exchange for environmental degradation,” Wahab stated. “Some of those arrested have already admitted to the crime. We will not allow our infrastructure to be used for illegal activities that threaten public health.”

The Orile operation was the second half of a busy day for the task force. Earlier that morning, operatives stormed the Coastal Road, dismantling a series of illegal shanties and wooden sheds that had been erected as makeshift homes. The message from the Ministry was clear: the era of converting road setbacks into lawless settlements is over.

This latest sweep is part of a broader “State of Harmony” initiative by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to modernize waste management. Just recently, LAWMA announced a move toward mandatory waste sorting at the source, and this week’s arrests serve as a stark warning to those who choose to operate outside the law.

The 26 suspects are currently in custody at the Task Force headquarters in Oshodi, facing further investigation and prosecution under the state’s environmental laws. As the urban regeneration exercise continues, Lagos residents are being urged to patronize only registered PSP operators and report any illegal “toll-gate” waste sites in their neighborhoods.