Morufudeen Idowu, a 52-year-old returnee from Canada, was arrested by officials of the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC) for allegedly assaulting an officer who attempted to prevent him from unlawfully crossing the expressway at Ojota.
The arrest was confirmed by the Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, who provided details of the incident in a post shared via his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle on Friday.
“Mr. Morufudeen Idowu, 52, a Canada returnee, resisted arrest and assaulted one of our officers while attempting to cross the expressway at Ojota,” Wahab stated. “He has been taken into custody at the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps office in Oshodi and will be prosecuted in line with the state’s applicable laws.”
Although full details of the incident have not yet been disclosed, reports suggest that LAGESC officials were carrying out routine enforcement in the Ojota area—an area known for frequent pedestrian violations—when Idowu allegedly turned violent.
LAGESC officers, commonly known as KAI officers, are tasked with enforcing environmental and public safety regulations throughout Lagos State. Their responsibilities include curbing unsafe practices such as illegal expressway crossings, street trading, and indiscriminate waste disposal.
According to authorities, illegal expressway crossings have resulted in numerous accidents and fatalities, leading the government to intensify enforcement efforts in high-risk areas such as Ojota, Mile 2, and Oshodi. Pedestrians are mandated to use overhead bridges to safely cross busy highways—a regulation Idowu allegedly violated before becoming aggressive toward enforcement officers.
Idowu remains in custody and is awaiting prosecution.
