The Nasarawa Mobile Court, Environmental Related-Offence judge, Abdullahi Lande, on Saturday convicted 52 persons for violating the state’s environmental sanitation law.

Mr Lande sentenced them to between six weeks and six months imprisonment each with option of fine of between N5,000 and N50,000.

The prosecutor and also a chief environment officer in the state, Abubakar Mohammed, had earlier told the court that the suspects were transacting their private businesses while the sanitation exercise was in progress.

Mr Mohammed said that the offences violated Section 9(2) of the State Environmental Sanitation Law, and urged the court to sanction the culprits accordingly to serve as deterrent to others.

Meanwhile, Aliyu Agwai, the Permanent Secretary, Nasarawa State Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, had decried the practice of open defecation in an old store on Doma road in Lafia.

Mr Agwai made this known during the inspection of November sanitation exercise and threatened to sanction those caught in the act.

He said the ministry would evacuate refuse in the area daily to guard against outbreak of cholera in the state.

“The ministry has 64 refuse collection points in Lafia alone where its personnel evacuate refuse daily. Residents should patronise private refuse evacuation companies or dump their refuse at the collection points,” he said.

He advised residents to sustain their compliance every month end as well as continue to maintain personal and public hygiene to guard against outbreak of diseases.

(NAN)