No fewer than 17 people were arrested and tried at a mobile court in Gombe State on Saturday for violating environmental sanitation laws.
The offenders, which included motorcycle riders, Keke NAPEP operators, and attendants at fuel stations and restaurants, were apprehended during the state’s monthly end-of-the-month sanitation exercise.
The mobile court session was presided over by Magistrate Maikudi Bamai at the Gombe Divisional Police Station.
Advertisement
Addressing journalists, Mohammed Fawu, State Commissioner for Water, Environment and Forest Resources, warned that sanitation offenders would henceforth be made to sweep streets and cut grasses as part of their punishment.
READ ALSO: Police Recover Stolen Transformers, Arrest Suspects In Edo
He stated that the move was intended to serve as a deterrent and encourage compliance with environmental regulations.
“Health is wealth and should not be neglected for any reason. The current administration is committed to prioritising the well-being of residents,” Fawu said.
The mobile court, he noted, has been mandated to adjudicate on sanitation issues and ensure justice is served.
Fawu highlighted that all offenders had been processed at various police stations in town, where they would face charges.
“We will inform the public about the fines collected during the exercise. Nobody pays cash; we have staff from the internal revenue department with us. Once payment is made, it goes directly to the state treasury,” he explained.
