Ogun Waste Management Authority Arrests, Prosecutes 108 Offenders
The Ogun State Waste Management Authority has arrested and prosecuted 108 persons for violating environmental laws in Abeokuta.
The arrests were disclosed in a statement issued on Wednesday, said the offenders were apprehended across different parts of the state capital for dumping refuse on roadsides, medians and other public places.
According to the agency, the enforcement team carried out the operation in line with the state’s waste management regulations, which prohibit indiscriminate disposal of refuse in public spaces.
Commenting on the development, the Special Adviser to the Governor on OGWAMA, Farook Adeniyi Akintunde, said the offenders had been prosecuted in various customary courts and fined to serve as a deterrent.
He said, “It’s 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.”
Akintunde noted that the government had made several efforts to address the issue through public sensitisation and improved waste collection services, but some residents continued to violate the law.
According to him, “We have sensitised, appealed and even encouraged them to hand over their waste to Waste PSP assigned to their areas for proper waste disposal, but to no avail.”
He added that the authority would sustain the enforcement drive until compliance improves, stating, “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.”
The adviser also warned of the environmental and health risks associated with improper waste disposal, noting that “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 urged residents to comply with the law or face prosecution, saying those who continue to dump waste illegally should “stop forthwith or prepare to face their days in courts law as the state government… will not fold its hands and allow a few individuals to deface the environment through unlawful environmental practices.”
