6 jailed over refuse in Kwara

A Mobile Court sitting in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, has sentenced six people comprising men and women to two weeks imprisonment for flouting environmental law.

The offenders were brought before Magistrate Aluko at the Kwara State Ministry of Environment Conference Room on Thursday.

Aluko, after his ruling, said the court has the jurisdiction to sentence anyone violating the law to any term of imprisonment or fine.

He however gave them a N10,000.00 fine.

Speaking after the sitting, the Commissioner of the ministry, Hon. Remilekun Banigbe, said that the mobile court was staged in order to arrest and prosecute offenders.

Represented by her Deputy Director, Mrs Mustapha Mary, Banigbe revealed that the offenders were caught on Tuesday night between the hours of 8:00 pm and 10:00pm at Fate roundabout and Wahab Folawiyo (Unity) Road.

According to her, seven persons were arrested but six were prosecuted while the remaining one was pardoned because he is an underage.

The commissioner also said the court verdict will serve as deterrence to other offenders, pointing out that the ministry is doing a lot of advocacy and sensitization but the people are not yielding.

She said the team is always on duty day and night keeping vigilance on the state’s environment and anybody caught dumping refuse indiscriminately will be prosecuted.

Banigbe appealed to residents to cooperate with the government rather than sabotage its efforts.

He also charged them to patronize the commercial waste contractors and stop littering waste on the road medians, road sides and drainages.