From Taiye Joseph, Ilorin
To enforce environmental laws, a Magistrate Court in Ilorin, Kwara State, has sentenced 40 residents to three months imprisonment each for violating the state’s environmental regulations.
The individuals were charged with offenses including indiscriminate refuse disposal, encroachment, and illegal scavenging.
The court, presided over by Magistrate Saidu Tunde Abdulkareem, delivered the judgment on Friday.
The convicted residents pleaded guilty to the charges and were each given the option of paying a ₦50,000 fine in lieu of serving the jail term.
The sentence was issued in accordance with section 5, subsection 1-4 of the Kwara State Environmental Law.
Out of the 40 convicted persons, 31 were arrested for improper disposal of waste, while the remaining nine were apprehended for engaging in illegal scavenging activities.
Reacting to the court’s decision, the Kwara State Commissioner for Environment and Forestry, Hon. Nafisat Buge, expressed satisfaction with the outcome.
She emphasized that the enforcement of the environmental law is aimed at preventing health hazards, flooding, and other risks associated with improper waste management.
The Ministry, recently launched a task force dedicated to enforcing environmental standards, particularly targeting unlawful waste disposal and unauthorized scavenging.
The Commissioner, said, the task force had already begun making arrests, and the mobile court within the Ministry has been actively prosecuting offenders.
Hon. Buge also noted that the state Government had previously passed a law restricting scavenging activities to designated areas, specifically a government-approved dump site along the Sokoto Aiyekale expressway.
Furthermore, she urged residents to utilize the roro bins placed at strategic locations across Ilorin or to engage the services of commercial waste collectors, who charge minimal fees for proper waste disposal.
The Commissioner, reiterated the government’s commitment to maintaining a cleaner and healthier environment in Kwara State, warning that the crackdown on illegal waste dumping will continue as long as residents engage in such practices.
She also disclosed that ongoing efforts are being made to clear blocked drainages, which have been clogged due to improper waste disposal.
