Bauchi State Environmental Protection Agency (BASEPA) Mobile Court has handed a tricycle operator a seven-day community service sentence for violating the state’s environmental sanitation regulations.
The convict, Sadiq Sani, was arrested for operating his tricycle during the September sanitation exercise. The court declared that the act contravened Section 36 of the Bauchi State Environmental Act 2017, which restricts movement and business activities during sanitation hours.
Upon arraignment, Sani pleaded guilty, prompting the presiding magistrate, Laraba Hamisu, to sentence him to serve as a deterrent to others.
Hamisu sentenced him to two hours of community service daily for seven consecutive days, with no option of a fine. In accordance with Section 456 of the Penal Act 2026, the service will be supervised by the Non-Custodial Unit of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Bauchi State Branch.
The magistrate said the court would no longer tolerate disregard for environmental laws and warned residents to comply with sanitation directives to avoid prosecution.
In a related development, the court ordered the arrest of other sanitation defaulters who failed to appear before it after being summoned. They will be brought before the court on October 21, 2025, for violating the same environmental regulations.
Hamisu said the judgment would deter potential violators, adding that keeping the environment clean is a civic duty that must be respected.
She noted that the defendant has 30 days to appeal the ruling if dissatisfied.
