Oyo Arrests 200 For Indiscriminate Dumping Of Refuse

The Chairman of Oyo State Environmental Task Force, Mr Francis Ojomo, has said no fewer than 200 persons have been arrested for indiscriminate dumping of refuse and violation of other environmental laws in the state.  

Ojomo,  who disclosed this  while briefing journalists in Ibadan said those arrested had been prosecuted. 

Describing the flagrant disobedience of some residents to government’s directive on refuse dump as worrisome , he said the task force would not relent in its efforts to ensure that every part of the state was clean. 

Ojomo said, “In  the last three months that we have started work in Oyo State, we have made over N6million to the coffers of the state government and  we have arrested and prosecuted over 200 culprits.

“As I said, we expect that going by the volume of sensitisation that has gone into our service, people by now, should  have changed their ways. Residents ought to have started   complying with the laws that touch on the environment in Oyo State but that is not the case. 

“From close observation, we discovered that all strata of the society both educated and uneducated people, learned or not, are culprits.”

The Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Dr Idowu Oyeleke, also said 10  persons including a minor were arrested  for  failure to provide standard refuse bins on the premises, obstruction and assault of government officials on duty and  failure to register with accredited refuse collectors among others. 

Oyeleke said,  “The government set up the task force to ensure that people comply with all  environmental laws and people are being punished for disposing their waste carelessly, recklessly and indiscriminately.

“On a daily basis, at every hour of the day, people are been arrested for indiscriminate dumping of refuse on road median or even along the streets. 

“As we speak, the Environmental Task Force Tribunal sits every day and some of the people arrested for dumping refuse on road medians are being tried, some have been convicted and vehicles impounded.”