The Nasarawa State government has set up 36 mobile courts in its 13 local government and 18 local council development areas to prosecute violators of its monthly sanitation law.

The law demands that residents clean their homes and neighbourhoods every last Saturday of the month.

Abubakar Mohammed, the chief environment officer and chief prosecutor at the Nasarawa State Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, said the courts would ensure proper enforcement of the sanitation law.

Mr Mohammed told journalists in Lafia on Saturday that Lafia and Karu council areas have three mobile courts each for administrative convenience.

He represented the permanent secretary in the ministry, Garba Mohammed, at a news briefing on the sanitation exercise for July.

Mr Mohammed expressed satisfaction and applauded traditional rulers, chairman of area councils and security agencies for the success of the exercise.

He noted that up to 90 per cent of residents complied with the law by locking up their shops and businesses to clean their surroundings.

“We allowed those on essential services to move around during the exercise, though,’’ he said.

Forty-two persons who violated the sanitation law in Lafia Local Government Area were arrested and prosecuted by the mobile courts.

(NAN)