The Oyo State Ministry of Environment has secured convictions for 18 individuals on various environmental offences as part of its ongoing campaign to promote a cleaner and healthier environment across the state.

Two of the offenders were arrested for open defecation, while 16 others were apprehended and arraigned for illegally dumping refuse on road medians.

Justice Jubril Adio of the Environmental Court found all the offenders guilty of contravening the Oyo State Environmental Sanitation and Waste Management Law, which prohibits open defecation and indiscriminate disposal of waste in public places.

The judge described their actions as a public nuisance and a threat to environmental hygiene, warning that the court would continue to apply the law strictly against anyone found violating sanitation regulations.

A representative of the Oyo State Ministry of Environment reaffirmed the government’s commitment to maintaining environmental cleanliness and protecting public health, urging residents to use approved waste disposal channels and public conveniences to avoid prosecution.