"Any person who contravenes any of the provisions of this law commits an offence and on arrest shall pay a penalty of twenty-five thousand (N25,000) to the Authority."

Ogun State Government, on Monday, raised the alarm on the indiscriminate dumping of refuse in drainages, streets and other unapproved spots in the state, saying that violators risk both fines and jail time. The government, which handed down this warning through a statement by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Waste Management, Abayomi Hunye, said it had observed in the past few weeks that most people in markets dump waste indiscriminately, polluting the environment and creating a climate of filth.

It warned such people to take note of the provisions of the (2020) law establishing the Ogun State Waste Management Authority and other matters connected therewith. Section 34(1) of the law provides as follows: "Any person who contravenes any of the provisions of this law commits an offence and on arrest shall pay a penalty of twenty-five thousand (N25,000) to the Authority. Failure upon which on conviction by a court, the offender is liable to a maximum fine of two million naira (N2, 000, 000) or three months imprisoned or both."

The statement added: "The Ogun State Government can no longer tolerate the pernicious practice of dumping waste indiscriminately. All the approved markets in the state have designated areas and containers for refuse disposal, but many people habitually dump refuse anywhere they choose, putting public health in jeopardy.

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"There's a law against this and henceforth, the State Government will not hesitate to implement the provisions and bring sanity to the state.