Clement Adeyi, Osogbo
A police officer and about 40 residents of Osogbo were apprehended on Tuesday by officials of the Osun State Waste Management Agency (OWMA) for allegedly dumping waste on the roads of the state capital.
Those arrested included children, traders and nursing mothers.
The OWMA officials arrested the culprits when going round the capital city in their truck, catching them while dropping refuse on road medians and road sides.
Daily Sun gathered that the arrested offenders, who were loaded in the agency’s truck, were later taken to the OWMA office in Osogbo.
They included one Mr Adebisoye, who identified himself as a police officer, Kehinde Abass, Abdulsalam Aminat, Adeola Oladeto, Temilade AbduAzeez, Afsoh Abdulsalam among others.
Acting General Manager of OWMA, Femi Ogunbamiwo, who confirmed the arrest, said that the erring residents were arrested for flouting environmental laws.
He added that the residents of the town had been warned severally against waste disposal on the road sides, river channels and unapproved sites, but lamented that some of them had refused to comply.
He disclosed that the offenders would be charged to court.
Ogunbamiwo, warning residents against violating the state environmental sanitation law, stressed that the state government had enacted the laws with a view to ensuring the good health and wellbeing of the people.
He added that official of OWMA had earlier held a meeting with stakeholders, market men, security operatives, journalists, local government, LCDA officials, administrative office representatives among others on how to design a blueprint for the implementation of environmental sanitation in the state.
He urged the residents to desist from indiscriminate dumping of refuse to avoid epidemics.
One of the offender, Mrs Afusatu Abdulsalam, who showed remorse, begged the agency to pardon them saying that they regretted their action.
Abdulsalam, who resides at number 4, Agowande Street, Osogbo, said that for about a month the OWMA officials had not come to their areas to pack their refuse.
She said that it was against that backdrop that people resorted to dumping refuse on the side of the road.
She pleaded for pardon and promised never to engage in the act again.