Lagos Commissioner Tokunbo Wahab Under Fire for Sharing Video of Environmental Officers Assaulting Suspects

Lagos Environment Commissioner Criticized for Sharing Video of Officer Misconduct.

A disturbing video uploaded by Lagos Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, has ignited widespread condemnation. The footage shows personnel from the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps, Lagos Neighborhood Watch, Environmental Health Officers, and the Lagos State Environmental Taskforce team physically abusing suspected offenders during a raid in Obalende.

This incident contravenes Nigeria’s Anti-Torture Act of 2017, which prohibits torture, intimidation, and inhumane treatment of suspected offenders. The United Nations Treaty Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, ratified by Nigeria, also condemns such actions.

Lagos-based lawyer Ridwan Oke denounced the commissioner’s actions, stating, “This is contrary to our laws prohibiting torture, intimidation, and inhumane treatment of suspected offenders.” Oke emphasized the need to address the training and handling of offenders by officers, warning that unchecked abuse of power can escalate.

Nigeria has a history of law enforcement brutality, which led to massive protests in October 2020 calling for the disbandment of the now-defunct SARS police unit. The National Human Rights Commission is tasked with protecting human rights as guaranteed by the Constitution, but Nigeria’s ratification of international treaties, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention Against Torture, remains to be integrated into local laws.

Watch Video Below;

In a continued effort to curb environmental violations in the state, the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps @LAGESCOfficial (KAI), in collaboration with the Lagos Neighborhood Watch, Environmental Health Officers, and the Lagos State Environmental Taskforce team,… pic.twitter.com/gvAymtEdZs

— Tokunbo Wahab (@tokunbo_wahab) October 3, 2024