Environmental Prosecution
in Lagos State.
The Environmental Prosecution Unit (EPU) prosecutes environmental offenders before the Ikoyi Environment Court on behalf of the Honourable Attorney General of Lagos State. The EPIR is the intelligence register underpinning every enforcement action — from abatement notice to final judgment.
Environmental Prosecution Unit — What We Do
The EPU is a specialist unit within the Ministry of Justice, Lagos State. We prosecute environmental offenders before the Ikoyi Environment Court on behalf of the Honourable Attorney General. Our mandate is grounded in the Environmental Management and Protection Law 2017 and the constitutional duty to protect the environment for all Lagos residents.
Register Summary — EPIR 2025–2026
Aggregate enforcement statistics from the EPIR. Individual case data, defendant names, and suit-level records are internal EPU intelligence. Only summary totals are published here.
| Series | Area | Referring Agency | Cases | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SOC/E | Ikoyi / Ikoyi-Obalende | Lagos State LCDAs | 53 | |
| SOC/SU | Surulere / Ebute-Metta / Yaba | MOE/EMU/Mainland | 95 | |
| SOC/M | Lekki Phase 1 / Victoria Island | Iru Victoria Island LCDA | 36 | |
| SOC/FA | Amuwo-Odofin / Oshodi-Isolo | MOE/EHU · MOE/EHU/BDG | 55 |
| Year | Cases Filed | Breakdown |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 220 | SOC/E: 53 | SOC/SU: 95 | SOC/M: 36 | SOC/FA: 9 |
| 2026 | 24 | SOC/E: 5 | SOC/SU: 10 | SOC/FA: 12 | SOC/M: 1 |
What the EPU Does — and Does Not Do
Understanding the EPU's mandate helps businesses, enforcement agencies and the public know when and how to engage with us.
- Prosecute environmental offenders before the Ikoyi Environment Court on behalf of the Attorney General
- Issue criminal summonses under the EMPL 2017, LPHL 2015 and related legislation
- Track abatement notices, verification visits and compliance outcomes in the EPIR
- Publish aggregate enforcement data publicly for accountability and transparency
- Support ESG compliance certification through the Lagos State LCDAs framework
- Receive enforcement referrals from LAWMA, LAGESC, LCDA units and MOE agencies
- Exercise the civil jurisdiction of the Environmental Court (S.503 EMPL 2017) for recovery of PSP waste management fees and enforcement of environmental compliance agreements — filed by originating summons, distinct from criminal proceedings
- Conduct field enforcement or issue abatement notices directly — this is done by the referring agency (LCDA, MOE, LAWMA)
- Publish individual case data, defendant names, suit numbers or fine amounts — these remain confidential
- Accept private complaints directly from the public — complaints must go through the relevant LCDA or enforcement agency
- Issue ESG certificates — these are issued by Lagos State LCDAs; the EPU provides the compliance verification
- Handle private civil disputes between neighbours or between private parties — ordinary civil nuisance between individuals is not within the EPU's remit and remains in the High Court. Note: the Environmental Court does hold civil jurisdiction under S.503 EMPL 2017, which the EPU exercises for specific matters such as recovery of PSP waste management charges and enforcement of environmental compliance agreements — but these are distinct from private civil suits
- Provide legal advice to defendants or businesses about their specific cases
Why These Cases Matter
Every enforcement action reflects a concrete public health risk. These are the issues that appear most frequently before the Environmental Court — and the human cost behind each one. Environmental law is not a technicality. It protects lives.
Legislation Governing Environmental Enforcement
Environmental prosecution in Lagos State operates under a multi-statute framework. The EMPL 2017 is the primary instrument. The following laws are cited in current prosecution files before the Ikoyi Environment Court.
| Citation | Full Title | Application in Current Cases | Penalty Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| EMPL 2017 |
Environmental Management and Protection Law 2017, Lagos State
Primary environmental statute. Creates statutory nuisances, abatement notice regime, the Environmental Court's jurisdiction, and prescribes penalties in the First Schedule (individuals) and Second Schedule (commercial entities).
|
All prosecution series. Primary charging instrument. | Individual: ₦1,000 – ₦100,000 Corporate: ₦50,000 – ₦1,000,000 Per diem: ₦10,000/day |
| LPHL 2015 |
Lagos Public Health Law 2015
Governs food premises, fumigation obligations, certificates of fitness, water analysis, and public health duties of commercial operators. Section 6(a-q) is the primary SOC/M charging section.
|
SOC/M (Lekki/VI commercial premises) · SOC/FA (food & allied). | S.6(a-q) — as prescribed |
| NEHPR 2024 |
National Environmental Health Practice Regulations 2024
Federal regulations on environmental health practice. Sections 51 and 52 cited in Victoria Island commercial premises enforcement alongside EMPL and LPHL.
|
SOC/M (Victoria Island commercial). Charged alongside EMPL. | S.51 & S.52 — federal scale |
| SAND LAW 2015 |
Sand, Laterite and Gravel Spillage Prohibition Law, Lagos State 2015
Prohibits driving any vehicle carrying sand, laterite or gravel without tarpaulin cover. Sections 1, 2 and 3 create three distinct offences — failure to cover, and actual spillage.
|
Highway spillage cases. Charged against driver and vehicle owner. | S.1–3 — as prescribed |
| ROAD TRAFFIC 2015 |
Road Traffic Law 2015, Lagos State
Schedule 1 creates the offence of wilful obstruction of the highway by crossing. Schedule 1 No. 26 creates the offence of assault on a law enforcement officer.
|
Highway crossing and LEO assault charges — standalone and combined. | Schedule 1 — as prescribed |
| CONST. 1999 |
Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999
Section 20 places on the State the duty to protect and improve the environment. The Supreme Court in Centre for Oil Pollution Watch v NNPC recognised an implicit constitutional right to a healthy environment flowing from S.20 and Chapter IV.
|
Constitutional foundation for all environmental enforcement. | S.20 — Constitutional duty |
Lagos State — Building an ESG-Ready Jurisdiction
For international investors, development finance institutions and multinational businesses operating in Nigeria, the existence of a functioning specialist Environmental Court in Lagos State is a material ESG governance indicator. The EPU is actively developing an ESG compliance certification framework for Lagos State LCDAs — currently in the pipeline pending formal institutional approval. The EPIR provides the verification infrastructure that connects enforcement records to corporate compliance reporting.
Legal Accountability — Verified and Verifiable
Any company violating environmental law in Lagos State can be prosecuted, convicted and penalised before a specialist court. That enforcement record is documented, searchable through EPIR, and provides a credible third-party verification of compliance — or non-compliance — for ESG reporting purposes.
GRI and TCFD Compliance Record
Businesses with no adverse EPIR record and full compliance with permits, HACCP certification, fumigation requirements and drainage obligations have a documented environmental compliance history reportable under the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards and the Taskforce on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD).
Carbon Market Participation
Under Nigeria's Climate Change Act 2021, demonstrated environmental compliance at the operational level is a prerequisite for carbon credit participation and voluntary carbon market engagement. The EPIR provides the operational verification layer currently absent from most Nigerian corporate ESG submissions.
Lagos State LCDAs ESG Framework
The ESG Compliance Framework for Lagos State LCDAs provides a formal certification pathway for businesses that achieve full environmental compliance — a milestone in Lagos State's environmental governance — currently in the pipeline.
ESG Compliance Certificate
Environmental Prosecution Unit · Lagos State LCDAs
This certification framework is currently in development. Businesses in full compliance with environmental law in Lagos State will be eligible to apply when the framework is formally launched.
Enforcement Activity — EPU Ikoyi
Periodic updates on enforcement sweeps, summary trials, community service orders and court outcomes before the Ikoyi Environment Court. Individual defendant identities are not published. All reports are aggregate or anonymised.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu formally reintroduced the monthly environmental sanitation exercise in Lagos State, following a near decade-long suspension. The exercise — held on the last Saturday of every month between 6:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. — commenced across the state on 25 April 2026, with widespread compliance reported in Ikoyi, Obalende, Surulere, Victoria Island, Agege and other areas. Governor Sanwo-Olu warned that the Environmental Management and Protection Law 2017 remains in force, with sanctions available against offenders. The Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, confirmed that enforcement teams from LASEPA, LAWMA, KAI and local government sanitation officers are overseeing compliance. The EPU notes that the EMPL 2017 — the statute under which the EPU prosecutes all environmental offenders before the Ikoyi Environment Court — underpins this exercise.
Following abatement notices issued in late 2025, MOE/EMU/Mainland referred seven active construction sites in Surulere, Coker-Aguda, Alagomeji and Yaba to the EPU for criminal prosecution. Matters were filed before the Ikoyi Environment Court (SOC/SU/04–10/2026). The principal charges cover failure to comply with abatement notice terms, indiscriminate stacking of building materials on public roads and drainage systems, and absence of sanitary toilet provision for workers. All seven matters are now active before the court.
Following enforcement activity by MOE/EHU and MOE/EHU/BDG between October 2025 and April 2026, food and allied businesses in Amuwo-Odofin and Oshodi/Isolo were summonsed before the Ikoyi Environment Court (SOC/FA series). Businesses face charges including insanitary refuse management, silted public drainage, dilapidated structures posing public danger, and failure to maintain clean premises. Matters are currently active before the court.
More enforcement updates coming. The EPU will publish periodic reports on enforcement sweeps, court outcomes and sanitation enforcement activity. Reports describe outcomes in aggregate only. Individual case data is never published. Enforcement officers and agency liaisons may submit court activity reports via the Ministry of Justice for publication consideration.
The Definitive Guide to Environmental Court Practice
Ministry of Justice Partnership
The EPU operates under the authority of the Ministry of Justice, Lagos State. This portal is designed for formal affiliation with the Ministry's institutional web presence at lagosstatemoj.org.