The Ekiti State Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources has intensified enforcement against illegal waste disposal following the arrest of a man accused of discharging offensive waste into a stream near Summit Resort in the Federal Housing Estate area of Ado-Ekiti.
The ministry said the suspect was apprehended through the vigilance of residents, who reportedly raised the alarm after he allegedly attempted to flee the scene after dumping the obnoxious substance into the stream, causing severe odour nuisance in the area.
It said a joint response team comprising officials of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, the Ministry of Health and Human Services, the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), and police officers from the Oke-Ila Division was immediately mobilised to the location, leading to the arrest of the suspect.
According to preliminary investigations, the suspect ,one Mr Tunde Oshin allegedly dumped waste consisting of degraded cow blood and other animal waste into the flowing stream, thereby contaminating the environment and posing potential health risks to residents.
Officials subsequently carried out fumigation and decontamination of the affected area, while samples were collected for laboratory analysis to ascertain the environmental and health implications of the contamination.
In a related development, the state government has commenced legal action against a waste management company accused of indiscriminate sewage disposal within the Ado-Ekiti metropolis.
Officials of the company have been arraigned before a Magistrate Court and granted bail, while the case was adjourned until May 19, 2026.
The Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Mrs Tosin Aluko-Ajisafe, condemned the incidents, warning that the government would not tolerate environmental violations or acts capable of endangering public health.
She said enforcement and surveillance had been intensified across the state to ensure strict compliance with environmental regulations.
Aluko-Ajisafe also commended residents of Federal Housing Estate, Ado-Ekiti, for their vigilance and urged other residents to remain environmentally conscious and promptly report any form of environmental abuse to relevant authorities for swift intervention.
