No fewer than 108 residents have been arrested and prosecuted for illegal waste dumping in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, as part of efforts to enforce environmental sanitation laws.
This was contained in a statement made available to PUNCH Metro on Wednesday by the Ogun State Waste Management Authority.
According to the agency, the offenders were apprehended by its enforcement team across different parts of the city while dumping refuse on roadsides, medians, and other public places in violation of the state’s waste management regulations.
The statement added that the offenders were ordered to pay fines for their actions.
Commenting on the development, the Special Adviser to the Governor on OGWAMA, Farook Akintunde, stated that the offenders had been arraigned before various customary courts in the state and fined as a deterrent to others.
He said, “It is just unfortunate that we have to go this route to stop some of our people from dumping waste indiscriminately on roadsides and in public places.
“We have sensitised, appealed and even encouraged them to hand over their waste to PSP operators assigned to their areas for proper disposal, but to no avail.”
Akintunde stated that the government would sustain the enforcement exercise until compliance improves among residents.
“We are determined to continue this exercise until they see the need to stop dumping waste indiscriminately, especially now that the state is wearing a new look in terms of proper waste management,” he added.
He also warned that indiscriminate waste disposal poses environmental and public health risks, particularly during the rainy season.
“Dumping waste indiscriminately is not safe, as it can lead to flooding and contaminate groundwater during this rainy season, which the state government will not allow,” he said.
The special adviser urged residents to desist from the practice and comply with waste disposal guidelines or face prosecution.
He added that the state government would not relent in its efforts to maintain environmental cleanliness and prevent a few individuals from defacing the environment through unlawful practices.
