Oyo kicks against indiscriminate waste disposal, prosecutes 32 offenders

By Adejayan Gbenga

The Oyo State government has prosecuted 32 individuals for indiscriminate waste disposal, including dumping sachet water nylons, refuse, and other waste materials at road medians and unauthorized locations.

Each offender was fined ₦50,000 for violating environmental sanitation laws.

The tribunal judge, Barrister Olumide Abifarin, disclosed this during a hearing held at the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, Ibadan.

According to him, environmental officials arrested the offenders in March, charging them with offences such as illegal waste dumping, failure to register with accredited waste collectors, and failure to provide a waste bin.

The judge stated that dumping refuse in unauthorized locations is 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 waste collector,” he said.

The defendants pleaded guilty, admitted their actions were unlawful, and requested the court’s leniency.

However, the judge granted leniency by waiving penalties for the second and third charges, imposing only the ₦50,000 fine for illegal waste disposal.