Sanitation: 106 persons arrested for violating law in Nasarawa

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In a bid to ensure compliance to sanitation laws and serve as deterrent to others, the sanitation enforcement teams of the Nasarawa State Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources have reportedly arrested no fewer than 106 persons for violating the environmental sanitation laws across the state.

A statement by the Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Yakubu Kwanta revealed that the over one hundred offenders were arrested across the state’s 13 local government areas.

The Commissioner was speaking at a press briefing on Saturday in Akwanga LGA shortly after the September sanitation exercise in the state, when he made the statement.

He narrated that 31 persons were arrested in Akwanga, 21 in Lafia, 29 in Karu, 4 in Nassarawa-Eggon, 6 in Awe, 5 in Kokona, 7 in Keffi and 3 in Obi LGAs respectively, adding that the offenders were prosecuted by mobile courts at their respective LGAs to serve as a deterrent to others.

According to the commissioner, the offenders were arrested for transacting their private businesses while the sanitation exercise was in progress adding that such practice was in violation of the provisions of section 9 (2) of the State Environmental Sanitation Law.

Kwanta, however, expressed satisfaction with the level of compliance by the residents of the state, adding that many shops and business environments were temporarily closed during the period of the exercise.

“We only allowed those with permission from relevant authorities and those on essential services to pass, and move around during the exercise.

“The ministry is going to collaborate with traditional rulers and chairmen of LGAs to strengthen enforcement in subsequent exercises,” he said.

While calling on members of the public to always keep their environments clean to guard against outbreaks of diseases, Kwanta said the ministry had issued notices to residents of the state to clear drainages around their houses and business premises to avert flooding.

In Ondo State, No fewer than 50 persons were arrested by officials of the State Waste Management Authority, for violating various environmental sanitation offences.

The suspects who were immediately charged to court and made to pay different fines were arrested during the monthly environmental sanitation exercise in Akure, the state capital, on Saturday.

This was according to the General Manager, Ondo State Waste Management Authority, Mrs Ayo Adeyemo, who spoke shortly after the exercise and urged the residents of the state to always obey the law and desist from dumping waste into drainages and other unauthorised places, warning that anybody who violates environmental sanitation laws would face the consequence.

According to Adeyemo, the offenders were picked up at different locations within the Akure metropolis during the monthly exercise.

She said, “We must imbibe the culture of keeping our environment clean. Environmental sanitation should be a daily affair and we should not wait until somebody forces us to clean our environment. Let us all keep our environment clean and free from any form of disease.

“Some people who brought their wastes to the roadside to litter the street were arrested, and we shall continue to do this. We should respect environmental laws, we should obey the law so that things can work well.

“We shall continue to sensitise, enlighten and also enforce the laws so that we can achieve a high level of cleanliness for the benefit of the residents and our state in general.”