In a statewide effort to enforce sanitation laws, no fewer than 300 individuals were arrested and prosecuted by a special court during the monthly sanitation exercise held in Kwara State on Saturday.
The exercise, which took place between 7:00 am and 10:00 am, is a routine event held on the last Saturday of each month.
The offenders, primarily from Ilorin, the state capital, were apprehended for failing to comply with the sanitation regulations.
According to The PUNCH, the Ministry of Environment’s Press Secretary, Kamaldeen Aliagan, the state’s Commissioner for Environment, Nafisat Musa-Buge, expressed satisfaction with the general level of compliance from residents.
Speaking at a checkpoint along the Ilorin/Ogbomoso expressway, Musa-Buge commended residents for their efforts to maintain cleanliness in their environments.
“Let me take this opportunity to commend the good people of Kwara State, particularly in the metropolis, for their growing compliance with the sanitation exercise. I encourage everyone to continue in this direction,” she said.
Represented by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Abubakar Ayinla, during an inspection, Musa-Buge, however, lamented that some residents still violated the sanitation laws despite numerous awareness campaigns.
“Even with all the enlightenment efforts on radio and other media platforms, it is unfortunate that almost 300 people were caught breaking the sanitation laws within the capital and subsequently brought before mobile courts,” she added.
The commissioner urged the public to adhere strictly to the designated three-hour sanitation period, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a clean and safe environment for public health.
Musa-Buge also expressed her appreciation for the efforts of the mobile court judges, security agents, transport unions, and other stakeholders who contributed to the successful execution of the exercise.
