The Lagos State government has declared that hawking dogs and other animals on the streets is prohibited in the state.
The Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, made this clear on Tuesday in response to public concern over the roadside sale of sickly puppies in Lekki.
Wahab noted that street trading and hawking of any goods or animals are prohibited under the Lagos State Environmental Management and Protection Law of 2017.
“Individuals engaging in the indiscriminate display and sale of livestock by the roadside are in violation of both environmental and agricultural laws of the state,” Wahab stated in a tweet.
He explained that selling sickly puppies or animals does not only disrupt public order but also poses significant risks to public health.
The Commissioner’s response comes after a social media user, @Temitayomab, asked Wahab about the government’s position on the sale of puppies by roadside vendors.
He said, “@tokunbo_wahab Hello Sir, I wanted clarification on your ministry’s position on the hawking of dogs on the road. There’s a debate on Tiktok concerning this as we currently have some sickly puppies being hawked in Lekki and the hawker is refusing to surrender them for treatment.”
Responding to the concern, Wahab noted that “the hawking of sickly puppies, for instance, highlights the dangers of such practices.“Enforcement on this front falls under the mandate of the Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences (Enforcement) and the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (also known as KAI).” (Guardian)