On Thursday, the Kwara State Ministry of Environment uncovered an illegal dump site near General Tunde Idiagbon International Airport in Ilorin, where commercial waste collectors and residents had been disposing of refuse in violation of state environmental laws.

The ministry also apprehended Inspector Adamu Usman, a police officer attached to the airport, who was allegedly aiding and abetting the illegal activity. He has been handed over to the state Police Command headquarters in Ilorin.

State Commissioner for Environment, Nafisat Musa Buge, who led the enforcement team to the area, said they discovered the site after placing the waste collectors under surveillance.

“As you can see, we have just discovered this illegal dump site that was created by some unidentified people. For instance, we found that the majority of commercial waste collectors dump their refuse here. We have always warned them against mismanaging their waste and informed them of the penalties involved if they are caught,” she told reporters Thursday evening.

“Fortunately, yesterday, we apprehended one of them. We traced him from the airport road to this place around 11 p.m., which led to the discovery of this massive illegal dump site.

“This place is very dangerous. You can see that the dump site is located beside the airport and the Aviation College. A plane just took off now. This place does not meet the criteria for a dump site. We have an approved dump site around Oko Olowo Expressway, Sokoto Aiyekale precisely. But this place is hazardous for the airport and the surrounding residents.”

She stated that they have revoked the license of the erring waste collector, who will also be fined N250,000.

The Commissioner also emphasized that efforts to curb indiscriminate refuse dumping are ongoing, with not less than 124 offenders prosecuted to date as a deterrent.

“Out of these 124, eight have been jailed. The offenses are mainly for indiscriminate dumping of refuse and illegal scavenging,” she said.

“We are not relenting, as enforcement of environmental standards is still ongoing and will continue until people stop dumping refuse indiscriminately. This is necessary due to the dangers associated with this bad habit.”

Daily Post reports that there has been a significant improvement in waste management since the ministry began the enforcement exercise.

The commissioner said, “We have achieved about 70 percent compliance within the few days since we started. Streets that were previously littered with debris are now much cleaner.”

“People now keep their waste until our vehicles pass by. Many are already patronizing the commercial waste collectors whose details we released a few days ago for public use. So, there has been a significant improvement.”

Accompanying the Commissioner were the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Abubakar Ayinla; Secretary, State Environmental Protection Agency, Idayat Folohunsho; and the Chairman, Waste Disposal Association, Kwara State, Sakariya Tairu, among others.