In a renewed effort to uphold environmental sanity in Oyo State, a total of 19 offenders were arrested by the Environmental Response Rapid Squad (ERRS) and Environmental Health Officers for violating the state’s environmental laws.

Sixteen (16) individuals were apprehended for illegal dumping of waste on road medians, while three (3) others were caught for open defecation.

The arrests were made at different times — some around 4:30 a.m. this morning, while others were picked up around 9:00 p.m. last night during surveillance operations across parts of Ibadan metropolis.

The offenders were promptly arraigned before Justice Olumide Abifarin at the Mobile Court situated within the Oyo State Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources. Those found guilty of illegal waste dumping were fined ₦50,000 and ₦30,000 respectively, while offenders of open defecation were fined ₦10,000 each, in line with the Oyo State Environmental Sanitation and Waste Management Regulation (2013) which prohibits indiscriminate disposal of waste and open defecation in public spaces.

The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources reiterated its commitment to enforcing a clean and healthy environment for all, urging residents to desist from all forms of environmental infractions. The Ministry emphasized that cleanliness is everyone’s business, warning that continuous defaulters would face stiffer penalties in accordance with the state’s environmental laws.

Residents are advised to make use of authorized waste collection points and engage licensed waste contractors to avoid arrest and prosecution.