Abia lawmaker frowns at indiscriminate arrest/detaining of sanitation defaulters by Police, ask CP to intervene

By Ogbonnaya Ikokwu On Jun 29, 2025

Ogbonnaya Ikokwu, Umuahia

The member representing Ohafia South State Constituency in the Abia State House of Assembly Kalu Mba-Nwoke, has frowned at the attitude of some Police Officers attached to Central Police State, Umuahia who arrest defaulters during Sanitation Exercise and detain them for contravening Abia Environmental Sanitation Law.

He lamented that despite several appeals for the officers to desist from the ugly paratice and hand those arrested over to the Mobile Court at State High Court for a trial, they had s continued unabated.

Mba-Nwoke who is the Chairman
House Committee on Environment, spoke on Saturday after monitoring the Monthly Sanitation Exercise for the month of June, said the action by the officers can be viewed as an act sabotage to the state.

He revealed that despite several appeals made in the past, the officers have continued to go contrary to Abia Environmental law, saying there is a Mobile Court where defaulters during the Exercise should be tried.

He said, “Today there is some level of compliance except those going for Polio Immunization and Unified Tertiary Matriculation Exam Mop-up organized by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB). Another problem witnessed during the exercise, is the attitude of Police Officers attached to the CPS at Bende road who arrest defaulters and instead of transferring them to the Mobile Court, detain them. This action is very wrong and against the Abia Environment Sanitation Law”.

Hon. Mba-Nwoke appealed to the Commissioner of Police Abia State Command, CP Danladi Isa, to address the situation by cautioning his men, stressing that the people involved are also the same set of Officers who have been linked to this practice right from the onset.

The Commissioner for Environment, Mr Philemon Ogbonna, said the exercise was impressive except for traders at Orie Ugba Market who have continued to carry on with their businesses despite State Government’s warnings.

Ogbonna who was the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Mr. Ikechukwu Oriuwa, revealed that going forward, the State government will desend heavily on traders at Orie Ugba, emphasizing that in the coming exercises, there will not be use of long rope or pampering of traders at the Market.

He called on Abians residents to cultivate the habit of cleaning up their environment without being coerced while also revealing that the Sanitary Inspectors will be deployed fully on subsequent Sanitation days.

The Special Adviser to Governor Alex Otti, on Environment, Mrs Ijeoma Iheukwumere, decried the attitude of youths at Niger, Enugu, Crowther streets among others who play football while the Sanitation Exercise is on-going, calling on parents to sensitize their children on the need to be law abiding and participate in the exercise.

She also frowned at the attitude of shop owners who do not clean up their business environment or stalls during the exercise, adding that such negligence would not be tolerated as the shop owners will be blacklisted and proper actions taken against them.

The General Manager, Abia State Governmental Protection Agency ASEPA, Mazi Okereke Ogbonnaya, said the Agency is doing a lot in ensuring environmental cleanliness, informing that they have introduced road side bins, street pickers as well as have started providing ASEPA waste nylons which aid the Agency in proper waste management.

Reacting to the Biogas Roasting Method, he said the State Government is implementing the method as it is a safer, eco-friendly alternative to the traditional, hazardous tyre-burning method for processing meat, particularly cow legs, heads, and hides, adding that the idea is being passed on to abattoirs in the State

The initiative involves converting animal waste into biogas, which will then be used to roast meat at abattoirs.

92 defaulters were apprehended, 79 people were presecuted, 11 were discharged on health grounds and two because JAMB mop up exam.