In Osun: Police Officer, 40 Other Residents Apprehended For Dumping Waste On Road

By Ayobami Agboola, Osogbo

No fewer than 40 residents of Osogbo, Osun State, including a police officer, were Tuesday morning apprehended by officials of the state Waste Management Agency for allegedly dumping waste on the roads in the state capital.

The arrested persons apart from police officer, including children, traders and nursing mothers.

The offenders were said to have been arrested by operatives of Osun Waste Management Agency (OWMA) .

OWMA officials had on Tuesday morning gone round the capital city in their truck, picking up residents caught dropping refuse on road medians and other sides of the road.

Our correspondent gathered that the arrested offenders, who were loaded in the agency’s truck, were brought to the OWMA office in Osogbo.

The arrested residents according to our correspondent who visited OWMA office are ; one Mr Adebisoye , who identified himself as police officer, Afsoh Abdulsalam, Abdulsalam Aminat, Adeola Oladeto , Temilade AbduAzeez , Kehinde Abass among others.

Confirming the arrest, the acting General Manager of OWMA, Sanitarian Femi Ogunbamiwo, said that the erring residents were arrested for flouting environmental laws.

Ogunbamiwo said residents of the town had been warned against dumping waste on road sides and river channels and unproved sites but some of them had remained adamant.

He further explained that the arrested people would be charged to court.

Warning residents of the state against violating the state environmental sanitation law, Ogunbamiwo said the state government enacted the laws, to ensure good health and well being of the people.

He said that official of OWMA had earlier held a meeting with stakeholders, market men and men, security operatives , journalists, local government and LCDA officials, Administrative office representative among others on how to develop a blueprint for the implementation of environmental sanitation in the state.

He therefore, urged the residents of the state to desist from indiscriminate refuse dumping so as to keep the state safe from epidemics.

One of the offender, Mrs Afusatu Abdulsalam, who felt very remorseful begged the agency to pardon them saying, they regreted their action.

Abdulsalam, who resides at number 4, Agowande street, Osogbo said for over a month the official of OWMA has not come to their area to pack up their refuses and having waiting endlessly without seeing them , she resorted into dumping her refuses on the media of the roads.

She said , though, she knew she has violated environmental laws of the state but begged for leniency , promising not to perpetrate the act again ever in her life.