The Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, has called for sustained nationwide sensitisation on environmental crimes, as a civil society organisation, CRUX Environmental Rights Advocacy and Development, seeks partnership with the police to tackle ecological offences.
Disu made the call while receiving representatives of the organisation on a courtesy visit, where discussions centred on strengthening environmental law enforcement and community-based crime prevention.
He acknowledged that crimes against the environment posed serious threats to public health and safety, citing recurring flooding in Lagos as an example of the consequences of poor environmental practices.
“Whenever it rains, floods come and people blame the government, whereas refuse is often dumped indiscriminately in drainages. Our waters are polluted and constitute health hazards,” he said.
In a statement signed by the group Secretary, Eswati Luka Ikpi on Friday, the police chief also raised concerns about wildlife depletion, illegal hunting, and the neglect of conservation efforts, noting that environmental protection required collective responsibility.
While responding to a proposal for the establishment of a specialised police unit on environmental crimes, Egbetokun said the police would instead prioritise awareness creation within its ranks and across communities.
“What I will do is sensitise commissioners of police nationwide, who will in turn sensitise divisional police officers to cooperate with you. Crime prevention is everybody’s business,” he said.
He urged citizens to report environmental violations and collaborate with law enforcement agencies, including the police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), to safeguard public infrastructure and natural resources.
Disu recalled past environmental incidents, including the toxic waste dumping in Koko, Delta State, and noted the activities of scavengers, which he said contributes to infrastructure vandalism and urban nuisance.
Earlier, Koko Ademuyiwa, speaking on behalf of CRUX, said the proposed partnership aimed to establish a structured framework for combating environmental crimes such as illegal dumping, pollution, deforestation, unlawful mining, and wildlife trafficking.
He said the collaboration would involve capacity building, technical support, joint monitoring operations, and community engagement to strengthen enforcement and promote environmental justice.
Koko noted that despite constitutional provisions and existing environmental laws, enforcement remained weak due to limited technical expertise and coordination among relevant agencies.
He cited Section 20 of the 1999 Constitution, which mandates the protection of the environment, as well as provisions of the Police Act, 2020, which empowers the police to prevent and investigate all forms of crime, including environmental offences.
According to him, the partnership would also leverage provisions of the Police Act that encourage inter-agency cooperation and specialised training, thereby enhancing the capacity of the police to address environmental challenges.
He added that strengthening environmental law enforcement was critical to addressing broader human rights concerns, including the rights to life, health and a clean environment.
