The Rivers State Waste Management Agency (RIWAMA) has arrested and arraigned 18 individuals for offenses related to improper waste disposal and violations of the state’s environmental laws.
Obed Douglas – Special Assistant on Electronic Media to Hon Prince Ohia, Acting Sole Administrator, RIWAMA made this known in a statement on Monday.
He said the offenders were apprehended by RIWAMA’s enforcement team across various locations, engaging in activities detrimental to the environment and undermining efforts to promote cleanliness in the metropolis.
He also said RIWAMA’s Director of Legal Affairs, Helen Ohaka, in a statement emphasized that the arrests signal a zero-tolerance approach towards indiscriminate waste disposal.
Ohaka disclosed that of the 18 individuals brought before the RIWAMA mobile court, 14 received fines corresponding to their offenses, while two were sentenced to the Port Harcourt Correctional Centre.
The remaining two, according to her, were discharged by the presiding magistrate.
The RIWAMA legal affairs director urged residents to maintain clean surroundings and business premises, warning that improper waste disposal poses significant health and environmental risks.
