134 arrested for violating environmental sanitation laws in Nasarawa

No fewer than 134 people were arrested across 13 Local Government Areas of Nasarawa State on Saturday for violating the state’s environmental sanitation laws.

The arrests were made during the monthly environmental sanitation exercise on Saturday.

The Commissioner for Environment, Solid Minerals and Mining, Dr Margaret Elayo, disclosed this while addressing journalists after the exercise in Lafia.

Speaking through the General Manager of the Nasarawa State Environmental Protection Agency (NASEPA), Mr Iliya Yusuf-Adeka, the commissioner said compliance with the sanitation exercise improved in September compared with the previous month.

According to her, tricycle operators, who recorded more violations during the last exercise, complied with the restriction this time.

She said no tricycle operators came out during the exercise, resulting in fewer defaulters and contributing to the smooth conduct of the sanitation exercise due to the high level of public compliance.

“Residents should make environmental cleanliness a daily habit instead of waiting for the monthly sanitation exercise. Market operators and those in motor parks should also clean their surroundings before opening for business.

“Our environment must be adequately protected for the overall health of us all,” she added.

Also speaking, the Chief Prosecuting Officer of the state’s sanitation courts, Dr Abubakar Muhammad, said 26 people were arraigned before a sanitation court in Lafia.

“We have a lot of compliance, and when you look at the environment, you can see just a few tricycles are here. About 26 people have been arraigned before this court, and across the 13 local governments, 134 people were arrested for violating sanitation laws,” he said.

Muhammad urged residents to obey environmental laws and support the government’s efforts to keep Nasarawa State clean and healthy.