Forty persons including a policeman were arrested on Tuesday in Osogbo, Osun State capital by officials of the Osun Waste Management Agency (OWMA) for allegedly dumping refuse on the roads.
Those arrested also include children, traders and nursing mothers.
The acting General Manager of OWMA, Mr Femi Ogunbamiwo, said they were arrested for violation of environmental laws of the state.
Ogunbamiwo said residents of the town had been warned against dumping waste on road sides, river channels and other unproved sites but some of them had remained adamant. He said those arrested would be charged to court.
He warned residents of the state against violating the state environmental sanitation law, saying that the law was enacted to ensure environmental sanitation and promote good health and well being of the people.
He said that official of OWMA had earlier held a meeting with stakeholders, market men and men, security operatives, local government officials, Administrative office representatives among others on how to develop a blueprint for the implementation of environmental sanitation in the state.
He therefore, urged the residents of the state to desist from indiscriminate refuse dumping so as to keep the state safe from epidemics.
One of the offender, Mrs Afusatu Abdulsalam, who felt very remorseful begged the agency to pardon them saying, they regretted their action.
Abdulsalam who resides at number 4, Agowande street, Osogbo, said for over a month, the officials of OWMA did not come to their area to pack their refuse and having waiting endlessly without seeing them, she resorted into dumping her refuse on the road median.
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