22nd October, 2019
The Ekiti Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Mr Gbenga Agbeyo, said that 175 people were arrested and prosecuted for allegedly violating environmental laws in the state between January and September 2019.
Briefing journalists on activities of his ministry on Tuesday in Ado-Ekiti, Agbeyo said that the offences included indiscriminate dumping of refuse, open defecation, dirty surroundings, and failure to participate in monthly environmental sanitation exercise among others.
He said that the arrests were made in different parts of the state by officials of the Environmental Monitoring Team, Environmental Task Force known as Operation Kick Against Bad Act and Environmental Health Officers of the ministry.
The commissioner said that the government was committed to sustaining a clean environment and ensure that its citizens are safe from diseases.
Agbeyo said that the ministry was working on the review of the Ekiti Environmental Laws, which he described as obsolete in the face of the current environmental challenges.
He commended various Non-Governmental Organisations working in collaboration with the ministry during the monthly environmental sanitation exercise to ensure a clean environment in the state.
The commissioner listed some of the NGOs and establishments to include, Man O War, Scouts of Nigeria, War Against Indiscipline, Girls Guild, Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) and Nigerian Police Force.