By Sylvia Okoi
No fewer than sixty persons were on Saturday, May 30, 2026, arraigned before the Environmental Sanitation Mobile Court in Calabar, the Cross River State capital, for violating laws guiding the monthly environmental sanitation exercise.
The offenders were apprehended by the monitoring team of the Ministry of Environment during enforcement operations across parts of the city.
Speaking with journalists shortly after the exercise, the Commissioner for Environment, Obol Moses Osogi, commended residents for the high level of compliance recorded during the May edition of the sanitation exercise, describing it as satisfactory.
The Commissioner, represented by the Director of Environmental Health and Pollution Control, Mr. Dien Ugumanim, noted that compliance levels continue to improve with each sanitation exercise, adding that significant progress has been recorded across the state.
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He highlighted 8 Miles Market as a positive example, noting that the area, previously identified as a major violator, showed remarkable improvement as traders and buyers complied with restrictions and actively participated in cleaning their surroundings. However, he expressed concern over persistent non-compliance at Marian Market, where some traders disobeyed sanitation directives.
Presiding over the cases at the Mobile Court sitting at Mobil, Calabar, the Senior Magistrate charged the accused persons with failure to participate in the monthly environmental sanitation exercise, a violation under the Criminal Code of Cross River State Law (Cal. CI6, Vol. 3).
The court stated that offenders are liable, in the first instance, to three months imprisonment or, alternatively, a fine ranging from ₦3,000 to ₦10,000 (three thousand to ten thousand) each. While some of the offenders pleaded guilty, others pleaded not guilty, leading to further legal proceedings. Some defendants were discharged on health grounds and due to work exigencies.
In separate interviews, residents condemned non-compliance with environmental sanitation laws and urged the public to support government efforts aimed at maintaining a clean and healthy environment. Some offenders admitted violating the sanitation order and appealed for leniency, promising to comply with future exercises.
The sanitation exercise commenced at the Ministry of Environment headquarters and covered major areas within Calabar Municipality, including Marian Road, Ikot Ansa, Murtala Mohammed Highway, Ikot Eneobong Market, and adjoining communities, before terminating at the Mobile Court sitting at Mobil, Calabar.
The monitoring team comprised officials of the Ministry of Environment, security personnel, NGO representatives, media practitioners, and volunteers.
