Confusion Erupts as LAWMA Lists ‘Tunde Onakoya’ Among Arrested Miscreants in Lagos

Nigerians on social media were thrown into confusion on Tuesday after a tweet from Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, listed Tunde Onakoya—a name identical to that of the renowned Nigerian chess master—as one of nine individuals arrested under the Ozumba Mbadiwe bridge.

The Commissioner announced that the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) enforcement team apprehended nine alleged miscreants in the early hours of the day. His tweet included a list of the arrested persons, one of whom was named Tunde Onakoya, 36 years old.

> “LAWMA enforcement team in the early hours of today arrested 9 miscreants under Ozumba Mbadiwe bridge. They are: Tunde Onakoya – 36yrs, Collins Ararume – 36yrs, Musiliu Fatokun – 27yrs, Usman Umar – 22yrs, Michael Oladotun – 18yrs, Michael Oluwakayode – 22yrs, Yusuf Azika – 26yrs, Bankole Akinola – 19yrs, and Abdullahi Olatunji – 19yrs,” Wahab wrote.

The announcement immediately raised eyebrows, as many Nigerians feared that the arrested individual might be the 30-year-old chess prodigy, Tunde Onakoya, known globally for his work with Chess in Slums Africa and his recent Guinness World Record for the longest chess marathon in New York.