Nine individuals have been arrested by the Oyo State Environmental Task Force for illegal disposal of waste on road medians across parts of Ibadan.
The operation was carried out by Environmental Health Officers of the Ministry of Environment during early morning and overnight enforcement exercises. The offenders were apprehended at Akala Expressway and the Leventist area of Ibadan.
They were subsequently arraigned before a mobile court set up by the Ministry and presided over by Barrister Wasiu, where each offender was fined ₦20,000 and sentenced to community service.
Speaking to journalists, a Director in the Ministry of Environment, Mrs. Areo, stated that the state government is ready to come down hard on anyone who deliberately defaces Oyo State through illegal waste disposal. She warned that the Ministry will sustain aggressive enforcement to protect public health and the environment.
Mrs. Areo further advised residents of Oyo State to desist from indiscriminate dumping of refuse and to always use approved waste disposal channels, noting that a clean environment is the responsibility of all.
