A Mobile Court sitting in Lokoja, Presided over by Magistrate Abdullahi Suleiman, has convicted 26 persons for committing various sanitation offenses in the last weekend National Sanitation Exercise held in Kogi State.
The accused persons were convicted for failure to participate in the state organize sanitation exercise, as part of activities to mark the commencement of this year’s National Sanitation Day being hosted by Kogi State.
Other offenses committed by those convicted include; wandering on sanitation day and obstructing sanitation officials from discharging their duties.
The Presiding Magistrate sentenced the accused persons to various terms in imprisonment or option of fines, and described cleanliness as next to Godliness.
Mrs Florence Joseph, the Acting General Manager of the Kogi State Waste Management and Sanitation Board, who testified to the offenses committed by the accused persons at the court, said the conviction will serve as a deterrent for people to be involved in future sanitation exercises.
The General Manager said the offenses committed by those convicted contravene the Kogi State Sanitation and Waste Management Board 2013 law.
In all, 43 persons were arrested, 35 prosecuted while 7 others were warned for contravening sanitation offenses at the just concluded sanitation day.
