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By Oluseye Ojo
The Oyo State Rule of Law Enforcement Authority (OYRLEA) has cracked down on roadside traders in the popular Bodija Market in Ibadan, the state capital.
Mini stalls, mobile counters, and goods displayed on the roadsides were also evacuated.
The disclosure was made known in a press statement issued by the agency and made available to journalists,yesterday.
The chairperson of OYRLEA, Justice Aderonke Aderemi (retd), reiterated the agency’s commitment to enforcing environmental and sanitation laws, as well as anti-open rearing and grazing regulations and other related laws in the state.
According to her, the enforcement exercise was randomly carried out by the enforcement team of OYRLEA on Tuesday.
“Recall that extensive sensitisation and campaign efforts against street trading was flagged-off at Bodija Market in January, this year, and such has been a continuum till date.
“OYRLEA is now taking action to ensure compliance,” Aderemi stated.
During the enforcement, some miscreants, who attempted to disrupt the exercise by assaulting taskforce officials, were apprehended by security operatives. They have been charged to court.
Meanwhile, the agency also arrested three rams and a cow for violating Anti-Open Rearing and Grazing Law of the state.
The arrest followed three seperate petitions from residents of Unique Estate, Oluyole, Ibadan, over rearing of cows and rams in residential area.
The cattle keeper gave the name of their owner as Moshood Ladipo. But he did not show up till the enforcement team left the scene.
However, the rams and the cow have been taken to the Ministry of Agriculture.
The OYRLEA said the owner of the livestock has a seven-day ultimatum to claim them to avoid forfeiture, in lieu of fine option.
The enforcement team was led by the Chairman, Environmental Task Force in the state, Mr. Francis Ojomo, a retired Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), and Chief of Staff to the chairperson of OYRLEA, Mrs I.E. Akinbode.
The Oyo State Joint Security Task Force, known as Operation Burst, some officials of OYRLEA and Ministry of Agriculture, as well as the Amotekun Corps were also part of the team.
Some of the residents of the estate expressed their delight over the state government’s intervention.
They decried effects of environmental pollution, caused by the livestock grazing within the residential area, which is an issue that has degenerated to confllicts within the estate.
