Ogun Magistrate sentences eight residents over indiscriminate refuse disposal

An Ogun State Magistrate Court sitting in Isabo, Abeokuta, has sentenced eight individuals to community service after finding them guilty of indiscriminate waste disposal in different parts of the state capital.

The offenders were convicted following their prosecution by the Ogun State Waste Management Authority (OGWAMA) for illegally dumping refuse on public roads, an act the government says poses serious environmental and public health risks.

According to the prosecutor, Sanitarian Kehinde Ogunsola, who is also a Medical Officer of Health with OGWAMA, the offenders were apprehended between 6:15 a.m. and 8:05 a.m. on the day of the trial while disposing of waste at Isale-Igbein, Car Wash and Abiola Way areas within the Abeokuta Magisterial District.

Ogunsola told the court that the illegal dumping created offensive odours and attracted flies, conditions capable of facilitating the spread of cholera and other diseases.

He further stated that the indiscriminate disposal of refuse could obstruct drainage channels and contribute to flooding, thereby endangering lives and property.

The prosecution charged the offenders with violating provisions of the Public Health Law of Ogun State, 2006, as well as Section 34(1) of the Ogun State Waste Management Authority Law, 2020.

The convicted offenders were identified as Oyebanjo Abidemi, Aminat Adewusi, Aminat Olarewaju, Omolana Olusola, Abiola Moridiya, Olaogun Mary, Abiodun Aromokun and Iwenya Sylvester.

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Delivering judgment, Magistrate A.K. Araba found all eight defendants guilty on the two-count charge and sentenced them to perform community service within the premises of the Isabo Magistrates’ Court.

The court also directed that photographs of the offenders carrying out the community service be displayed on the court’s notice board. Justice Araba further warned that any of the convicts caught committing the same offence in the future would face imprisonment without the option of a fine, describing the measure as a deterrent to others.

Reacting to the ruling, the Special Adviser to the Governor and Managing Director of OGWAMA, Farouk Adeniyi Akintunde, commended the Ogun State Judiciary for what he described as the proper interpretation and enforcement of the agency’s laws.

Akintunde said the judgment would strengthen ongoing efforts to eradicate indiscriminate waste disposal across the state and promote environmental cleanliness.

He reaffirmed the authority’s commitment to intensifying enforcement operations in all parts of Ogun State to curb environmental violations and safeguard public health.

The OGWAMA boss also urged residents who still dispose of refuse indiscriminately to patronise accredited waste managers assigned to their communities, warning that violators would continue to face prosecution.

He stressed that maintaining a clean environment remains a collective responsibility and advised residents to comply with waste management regulations to avoid legal sanctions.