A total of 42 persons have been sentenced to various terms in prison, over alleged violation of environmental sanitation laws in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the offenders, who were sentenced to between two and four months imprisonment, were dragged before Mr Shittu Umar, the presiding magistrate of the mobile court.
Umar, however, gave them the option of fines between N10,000 and 15,000, depending on the gravity of the offence.
The prosecutor and Chief Environment Officer of the state, Mr Abubakar Mohammed, had told the court that the suspects were caught transacting private businesses while the sanitation was ongoing.
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Mohammed said that the offences violated Section 9(2), of the State Environmental Sanitation Law.
He urged the court to sanction them accordingly, to serve as deterrent to others.
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Meanwhile, Mr Johnathan Kwaghkaha, the Acting Permanent Secretary in the state’s Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, however, described Saturday’s level of compliance with the sanitation as generally impressive, compared with previous exercises.
Kwaghkaha, in an interview with newsmen, explained that the exercise, normally observed every last Saturday of the month, was revived because of the Yuletide.
He said the ministry had strengthened capacity of the inspectors and deployed them to cover more places in order to enhance efficiency of the exercise.
The permanent secretary advised citizens to always keep their environment clean to guard against outbreak of diseases, particularly a second wave of COVID-19.
“Residents should cooperate more with the government and ensure that the state is kept clean in their best interest.
“If the environment is kept clean, it will guard against the possible outbreak of any disease, thereby ensuring improved healthy living of the people,’’ he said.
On the alleged extortion of citizens by members of the state’s Vigilante Group attached to the ministry as inspectors, Kwaghkaha said the ministry had launched an investigation into the matter and would bring anyone found culpable to book.
