By Ibidapo Olowolayemo, Ibadan
Friday March 28, 2025
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The Oyo State government has prosecuted 32 individuals for indiscriminate waste disposal, including dumping sachet water nylons, refuse, and other waste materials on road medians and unauthorised places.
The offenders were fined ₦50,000 each for violating environmental sanitation laws.
A statement by the state Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Prince Dotun Oyelade, on Friday, explained that the tribunal judge, Olumide Abifarin, disclosed this during a hearing held at the Ministry of Environment, and Natural Resources in Ibadan.
According to him, environmental officials arrested the offenders in March and they were charged with three offenses, viz illegal waste dumping, failure to register with accredited waste collectors and failure to provide a waste bin.
The judge said dumping refuse in unauthorised locations was punishable under Sections 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 patronize an accredited wate collector,” he was quoted.
The defendants pleaded guilty and admitted that their actions were unlawful, requesting the court’s leniency.
In his ruling, Barrister Abifarin stressed that Oyo State could achieve cleanliness “comparable to Rwanda, known as one of the world’s cleanest countries.”
He reminded residents that all homes, offices, religious centers, 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 were punishable offenses.
He, however, showed leniency by waiving penalties for the second and third charges, imposing only the ₦50,000 fine for illegal waste disposal.
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