In its continued effort to ensure a cleaner and healthier environment, the Oyo State Environmental Rapid Response Squad (ERRS), in collaboration with Environmental Health Officers from the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, has apprehended seven individuals for illegally dumping waste on the road median in different parts of Ibadan.
The arrest was made during a routine monitoring and enforcement exercise carried out by the Task Force early this morning. The offenders were subsequently arraigned before Barrister Jubril Adio, where they were each fined ₦30,000 in accordance with the provisions of the Oyo State Environmental Laws.
Speaking on the development, an Environmental Health Officer who was part of the operation emphasized that the exercise aims not to witch-hunt residents but to curb the growing menace of indiscriminate waste disposal, which poses serious health and environmental risks to the public.
According to the officer, “Despite the government’s continuous effort in providing waste bins and designating approved collection points, some individuals still choose to dump refuse on the median, blocking drainages and defacing the city. This attitude must stop.”
The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources has reiterated its commitment to enforcing all environmental sanitation laws and urged residents to desist from illegal waste disposal, noting that such acts undermine the state government’s effort to sustain a clean, safe, and livable environment for all.
Residents are also advised to patronize only authorized waste contractors and to make use of designated refuse collection points within their areas.
The Ministry reaffirmed that the enforcement exercise will continue across all zones of the state until total compliance is achieved.
