Uyo, An Environmental Sanitation Court sitting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, has arraigned two scrap metal collectors, popularly known as “Iron Condemn” men, for indiscriminate waste dumping and an alleged attempt to assault an Ibom Community Watch officer attached to the Akwa Ibom State Environmental Protection and Waste Management Agency (AKSEPWMA).
The defendants, Muda Abdulahi and Usani Sani, were brought before the court on Monday on two charges. They were apprehended by the agency’s enforcement team along Ring Road 3, Uyo, for actions deemed harmful to the environment and contrary to the state’s cleanliness campaign.
The court session witnessed a brief drama as the defendants, who claimed not to understand English, refused to respond to the charges. Senior Magistrate Amanda Effiom, presiding over the case, invoked a provision of the Criminal Justice Law, declaring their silence as a plea of “not guilty.”
Testifying before the court, the prosecution’s first witness (PW1), an Environmental Marshal, narrated how three scrap collectors were caught improperly dumping waste. The witness further alleged that the defendants became aggressive when confronted. According to his testimony, one of the suspects attempted to stab him with scissors while another tried to attack with a second pair. The marshal, trained in self-defense, managed to overpower them and alerted the police, leading to the arrest of two suspects.
Senior Magistrate Effiom granted the defendants bail in the sum of N200,000 each and adjourned the case to January 29, 2025.
The Akwa Ibom State Government, through AKSEPWMA, has been at the forefront of efforts to ensure environmental sustainability. Over the past six years, the agency has conducted extensive sensitization campaigns, urging residents to dispose of waste responsibly between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. at designated points. The campaigns also warn against unlawful waste dumping, emphasizing the health and environmental hazards it poses.
The arraignment highlights the government’s resolve to enforce sanitation laws and uphold environmental protection standards across the state.
