67 persons bag 6 months jail term for violating sanitation law in Nasarawa

A Mobile Court sitting in Nasarawa State has sentenced 67 persons to six months imprisonment for violating Environmental Sanitation Laws in the state.

The Judge, Mr Shittu Umar, while passing the sentence also gave the convicts an option to pay fines between N5, 000 to N50, 000.

The Prosecutor, Mr Abubakar Mohammed, also a Chief Environment Officer, had told the court that the suspects were transacting their private businesses while the sanitation was ongoing.

Mohammed said that the offences violated Section 9(2), of the State Environmental Sanitation Law.

He urged the court to sanction them accordingly to serve as deterrent to others.

Meanwhile, the state Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources commended people of the state for their level of compliance during this month’s sanitation.

Ibrahim gave the commendation while addressing newsmen shortly after monitoring the exercise on Saturday in Lafia.

The commissioner, represented by Mr Kwaghkaha Jonathan, Acting Permanent Secretary of the ministry, described the level of compliance with the exercise as impressive compared to previous sanitation days.

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Ibrahim, however, said that the government would strengthen the capacity of the sanitation inspectors to enhance efficiency.

He called on members of the public to always keep their environment clean to guard against outbreak of communicable diseases.

“Residents should cooperate more with the government toward ensuring that the state is clean in their best interest.

“If the environment is kept clean, it will guard against possible outbreak of any disease, thereby ensuring healthy living of the people,’’ the commissioner added.

Ibrahim said the state would sustain its status of cleanliness, as the government had set aside every last Saturday of every month for sanitation.