Tough times await defaulters as FCT Mobile court begins weekly sitting

Residents and property developers in the habit of dumping construction wastes in inappropriate and unauthorised places now face tough times as the Federal Capital Territory’s environmental mobile court begins weekly sitting.

It was gathered that the court christened, Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) mobile court, now sits every Thursday and Friday, to try residents over violation of the environment and other related issues.

This is coming against the backdrop of swelling heaps of construction wastes defacing the streets of the nation’s capital.

Last week, three residents were sentenced to six months imprisonment, with option of fine.
Another resident, who was convicted, with option fine in the sum of N40, 000.00, was equally ordered to remove the construction materials on or before Friday or risk being sentenced to Prison.

In his ruling, the presiding Magistrate, Ahmed Ilelah, ordered them to payment of five thousand naira (N5, 000) fine or risk six months jail term.

However, the court issued a seal up order on premises of 9 accused persons, who failed, refuse or neglected to appear before it, so as to compel them to appear on next adjourned date.

Earlier, Prosecuting counsel, Barrister Udeme Umanna, had informed the Court that a total of eleven residents were summoned for allegedly contravening Section 27 sub Section 4 of AEPB Act, by dumping their construction waste in an unauthorised locations within their neighborhood in Wuse Zone 6.

Also, speaking on the development, Head, Information, Development Control Department of the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC), James Larry, advised residents to always keep their construction waste within the confines of their premises, where rehabilitation works are being carried out.

He insisted that residents can always dispose their construction waste in appropriate refuse collection points or dump sites provided by the FCT Administration.

Furthermore, he explained that that the FCT Administration decided to make the mobile court sitting to be held twice every week in neighborhoods having serious environmental issues, in order to sustain effort at keeping the nation’s capital clean and green.