Court convicts 52 for contravening Abia environmental laws, discharges nine

Abia State Environmental Mobile Court ini Umuahia, on Saturday, convicted and fined 52 persons out of the 64 offenders that were arrested on Saturday during the State’s environmental monthly clean up exercise.

The offenders, who were arrested in various parts of Umuahia between 7 am and 10 am by officials for trading and loitering, were arrained at the Mobile Court sitting inside the Umuahia High Court complex, for allegedly contravening the Abia State Basic Environmental Laws.

In his ruling, the Presiding Magistrate, O.C. Ibekwe, after listening to 64 arrested persons, convicted 52 of them and directed them to pay fines to the State government.

The court also discharged nine persons after discovering them to be sick, students heading for exams or workers on essential duties.

Three other arrested offenders were ordered by the Mobile Court to carry out community services in Umuahia, as a correctional action.

Speaking earlier with journalists after monitoring some markets, drainage and waste disposal points in Umuahia, Abia State Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Philemon Ogbonna, appealed to Abia residents to support the clean environment initiatives of Governor Alex Otti.

Ogbonna, who was represented by Ikechukwu Oriuwa, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, disclosed that a Neighbourhood Environmental Watch would be established in the State to deepen cleaner environmental activities in Abia communities.

The initiative, he said, would further prevent indiscriminate dumping of refuse and to discourage other harmful practices to the environment.