Kwara State Government at the weekend arrested and prosecuted 400 residents for flouting the state’s environmental sanitation laws.
Each offender was fined N5,000 while others after the fine still did community service. 
The Press Secretary in the ministry of environment, Kamaldeen Aliagan, disclosed that some stubborn offenders were ordered to serve physical punishment after paying the fine.
The state Environmental Sanitation Task Force said: “the offenders refused to observe the monthly sanitation and were arrested while going about during the exercise last Saturday.”
The commissioner for Environment, Nafisat Musa Buge told Journalists after the environmental Sanitation exercise across the state.
The commissioner, who led the task force affirmed that; ” the exercise was successful because, there is an improvement in the level of compliance, therefore called for more adherence to the environmental laws, adding it is in the best interest of the people.”
She said that; “the offenders were apprehended and charged to 17 mobile courts that were strategically positioned across the metropolis.
“The good aspect is that none of the offenders can feign ignorance of today’s sanitation exercise, as enough sensitization was carried out, by the ministry on radio, newspapers and online.
“It is obvious they willfully flouted the laws and so made to face the full wrath of law, to serve as a deterrent to others.”
She however expressed optimism that the offenders would serve as deterrents to other would-be offenders in subsequent exercises.
Speaking on the extension of time, the Commissioner re-emphasized it is “in line with the state Environmental Sanitation law of Section 29 (2) CAP E4 of 2006 which stipulates that the hours of sanitation is between 7: 00am and 10 am.”
She stated that the move is necessary, to ensure a total eradication of indiscriminate dumping of refuse and forestall the outbreak of diseases, adding that the sanitation exercise has to be taken seriously and following the laws governing our state.
Commending members of the Guild of Yoruba Media Practitioners for their community service in Gaa Akanbi area, the Commissioner urged them to keep it up, calling on other groups and associations to emulate the good gesture of the association, for a better healthy living.
She therefore appealed to the public to continue to cooperate with the Government and its agencies, in its efforts to ensure a clean, safe, and healthier Kwara, for residents and would-be investors.
