Controversy is growing in Edo State following reports of violence against residents during the enforcement of a monthly environmental sanitation lockdown.
Critics say the measure, which restricts movement across the state, lacks statutory backing and is being implemented in defiance of multiple court judgments.
The policy, enforced from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. on the last Saturday of each month, was reintroduced by the administration of Governor Monday Okpebholo earlier this year. But human rights groups and legal analysts argue that the measure contravenes constitutional provisions, and has led to disturbing incidents of abuse.
Videos shared on social media on Saturday showed uniformed sanitation officers confronting citizens, chasing traders from shops, and flogging individuals allegedly found outdoors. In one widely circulated clip, a pregnant woman appeared to be manhandled by members of the task force.
“This is state-sanctioned violence against innocent people,” said a civil society activist in Benin. “There is no law backing these restrictions in Edo State, yet people are being brutalised for simply going about their business.”
The legality of restricting movement for environmental sanitation has been the subject of extensive litigation. In 2016, the Court of Appeal ruled in OKAFOR v. LAGOS STATE that such restrictions violated citizens’ right to freedom of movement and could not be imposed by executive fiat or pronouncement.
Also in Lagos, the Federal High Court declared the practice unconstitutional in a case brought against the Lagos State Government by Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, SAN. However, that judgment was overturned by the Court of Appeal, which reinstated the government’s authority to impose temporary movement restrictions for sanitation purposes. The matter is now before the Supreme Court.
Legal experts argue, however, that Edo State’s policy remains problematic because it has not been backed by any legislation passed by the State House of Assembly.
“In Lagos, there is at least an attempt to ground the restriction in law,” said a Benin-based constitutional lawyer. “But in Edo, there is no such statute. The government is relying purely on executive orders, which cannot override the Constitution.”
In a statement earlier this month, the Governor’s Press Secretary, Fred Itua, acknowledged the absence of enabling legislation but insisted the government could not wait for lawmakers to act.
“We cannot wait for legislation before taking action to protect our environment. That would be too slow,” he is reported to have said.
