Thirty-two (32) offenders have been prosecuted and fined with the sum of ₦50,000 each by the Oyo State government for indiscriminate waste disposal.
Their offences, which were in violation of the environmental sanitation laws of the state, included dumping of sachet water nylons, refuse and other waste materials at road medians and unathorised places.
This was disclosed by the tribunal judge, Barrister Olumide Abifarin, during a hearing held at the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, Ibadan.
According to him, environmental officials arrested the offenders early in March and they were charged with three offenses- illegal waste dumping, failure to register with accredited waste collectors and failure to provide a waste bin.
The judge said dumping refuse in unauthorised public locations is punishable under Section 74(a) and 97 of the Environmental Sanitation and Waste Control Regulations 2013.
“It is a legal requirement for all households and commercial establishments to own a waste bin and patronise an accredited waste collector,” he said.
All the 32 defendants pleaded guilty and admitted that their actions were unlawful and pleaded for leniency from the court.
In his ruling, Barrister Abifarin stressed that Oyo State can achieve cleanliness comparable to Rwanda, known as one of the cleanest countries in the world.
He reminded residents that all homes, offices, religious centres and commercial spaces must have proper waste disposal systems and must register with licensed waste collectors.
The judge emphasised that dumping refuse in drains, rivers, roadsides, and medians, as well as burning waste and obstructing environmental officials, are punishable offenses.
However, he showed leniency to the offenders by waiving penalties for the second and third charges and fined them with ₦50,000 only for illegal waste disposal.
