A Sanitation Court sitting in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom state capital has arraigned two scrap metal dealers, popularly called “Iron Condemn”, and for their alleged involvement in environmental pollution and assault on officials of the sanitation taskforce, subsequently remanded them in prison custody.
The suspects, according to the particulars of the case, were accused of indiscriminate waste dumping and attempted assault on the taskforce officials of the Ibom Community Watch (ICW) attached to the Akwa Ibom State Environmental Protection and Waste Management Agency (AKSEPWMA).
The defendants, Muda Abdulahi and Usani Sani, were arraigned on a two-count charge after being apprehended by the enforcement team along the Ring Road 3, Uyo.
The action of the suspects were deemed “detrimental to the environment and undermined government efforts to promote cleanliness across the state.”
However, a mild drama ensued in the court room when the charges were read, as the defendants claimed they did not understand English, and refused to respond to charges levelled against them.
The presiding Magistrate, Senior Magistrate Amanda Effiom, who cited a provision in the Criminal Justice Law (CJL), states that silence after charges have been read would be interpreted as a plea of “not guilty.”
During the proceedings, prosecution’s first witness, an Environmental Marshal, narrated how three scrap metal collectors were caught dumping waste improperly.
He testified that when he approached to caution them, the defendants became hostile as they attempted to stab him with scissors.
However, the environmental marshal overpowered them and called for police intervention, leading to two of the suspects being subsequently arrested.
Magistrate Effiom, therefore, granted the defendants bail in the sum of N200,000 each and adjourned the case to January 29, 2025.
LEADERSHIP recalls that the state government, through the AKSEPWMA, has sustained sensitisation and awareness campaigns over the past six years, urging residents to adhere to the approved 6pm to 6am timeframe for waste disposal at designated dump sites.
The state also warned against unlawful dumping of refuse which poses risks to public health and the environment.
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