Abia arrests 86 sanitation offenders during clean-up exercise

The Abia State Government arrested 86 sanitation defaulters during a clean-up exercise on Saturday and warned residents against disposing of refuse in drainage channels and waterways. Officials said 71 people were arrested in the Umuahia area. Of those detained there, 24 were discharged on health grounds or because they were students, while six were ordered to carry out community service.

In Aba, the Sanitary Mobile Court at Obingwa Local Government Area tried 15 alleged defaulters. Four were discharged on health grounds, while the remaining defendants were penalised under environmental laws, according to the state government. Commissioner for Environment Philemon Ogbonna said indiscriminate dumping had blocked drainage channels and contributed to flooding recently recorded in parts of the state.

He said the Abia State Environmental Protection Agency and other relevant bodies were working to keep drains open, but some residents continued to dispose of waste in waterways. Ogbonna warned that anyone caught dumping refuse in drainage channels would face severe penalties. He appealed to residents to take the three-hour monthly sanitation exercise seriously, saying the campaign was intended to benefit the wider population rather than the government alone.

In Aba, Ogbonna was represented by the zone’s officer in charge, Amarachi Goodluck. She said traders in several markets had been educated about the exercise and that residents had largely complied. She urged them to maintain that cooperation.

Goodluck also criticised traders who continued conducting business during the clean-up period, describing the practice as sabotage of Governor Alex Otti’s administration. She urged residents to comply with government environmental policies.