Pregnant woman alleges assault, multiple payments during Ilorin sanitation exercise
By Mosunmola Ayobami, Ilorin
A pregnant woman, Risi Abdulkareem, has appealed for justice after alleging that a security officer manhandled her during the monthly environmental sanitation exercise in Ilorin, Kwara State.
Abdulkareem, whose account has gone viral on social media, said she was in Ilorin to attend a wedding ceremony and had visited Oja Oba market with her sister to purchase items for her mother when the incident occurred.
According to her account, the sisters had already set out before realising that it was the monthly sanitation day. They subsequently joined other residents who were unable to continue their movements because of the restrictions imposed during the exercise.
She alleged that after the sanitation exercise ended, they attempted to continue their shopping when a security officer accosted her over an alleged violation of the environmental sanitation regulations. She said the encounter left her gown, popularly known as an abaya, partially torn.
The woman further claimed that she and her sister were initially asked to pay a fine of ₦2,000 each. However, after making the payment, they were allegedly informed that the money had been paid into the wrong account and were compelled to make another payment, bringing the total amount to ₦6,000.
The incident has drawn attention to the conduct of security personnel enforcing environmental sanitation regulations and the treatment of residents during the exercise. Abdulkareem has appealed to Nigerians to help her seek justice over what she described as her rough handling.
Environmental sanitation is observed on the last Saturday of every month in Ilorin and other parts of Kwara State, between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m. During the period, restrictions are imposed on human and vehicular movements to allow residents to clean their homes and surroundings.
Reacting to the development, the General Manager of the Kwara State Environmental Protection Agency (KWEPA), Mr. Jide Aina, urged residents to comply with the monthly exercise and other government directives. However, he did not specifically address the allegations involving Abdulkareem and the security officer.
