By Oluseye Ojo
Oyo State Government has set up a taskforce, mobile court, and tribunal to arrest, prosecute, and pronounce judgement on violators of anti-open grazing laws, street traders, people dumping solid wastes in unauthorised public places, and persons dumping building materials on public roads.
The Chairperson, Oyo State Rule of Law Enforcement Authority (OYRLEA), Justice Aderonke Aderemi (retd), made the disclosure during an interview with journalists on the sidelines of a two-day training on legal framework and the psychology of law enforcement with the theme: Strategies for Effective Compliance, held in Ibadan.
She also told owners of wandering goats, cows, and other animals in the state that have been allowing pets to destroy farm products and property of other people to desist from such carelessness or risk being sentenced to jail.
The programme, organised by OYRLEA in conjunction with BUC Digital Solutions, drew about 100 participants from different agencies of the state government, including Oyo State Road Traffic Management Authority (OYRTMA), Environmental Protection and Sanitation, and Anti-Open Rearing and Open Grazing Prohibition Law.
Aderemi stated that some cows being grazed openly in front of Oyo State Government Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan, were arrested recently. The owner was also apprehended. She added that the owner of the cows had to pay a ₦1.7 million fine or go to jail for five years. But he chose to pay the money.
“Sometimes, you may not have that privilege of the magistrate telling you to go and pay this money or go to jail; it may be a stiff one. You might just be sentenced to jail, so that the next person will know that it is better for them not to commit this offence again.
“Those rearing cows and destroying farm plantations, like cassava, soybean, beans and every other thing. The first thing is that the amount that the magistrate will pronounce may be ₦500,000, ₦2 million or more. Then, whatever they have destroyed would be valued and the owner of the cows or goats will have to pay. If it is up to ₦10 million, he has no option; he has to pay. Payment depends on the value of farm products destroyed by the cows or goats.”
Aderemi also read the riot act to people engaging in street trading to desist from such acts in order to avoid facing the full wrath of the law. She explained that for the past three months or thereabouts, the OYRLEA has embarked on an awareness and sensitisation campaign to different parts of the state capital in order to pre-inform the people about the law on street trading. She added that enforcement would start in full scale soon.
The OYRLEA boss also warned people dumping gravel, sand, blocks, iron rods, and so on on the road for construction work that such practice is against the law. She said owners of such property would be arrested and prosecuted as well.
Aderemi also cautioned motorists that have not been obeying traffic rules in the state to turn over a new leaf before it would be too late for them.
The agency, she said, has set up a taskforce, tribunal, and a mobile court with a view to preventing delay in dealing with offenders.
Aderemi continued: “It is time for us to wake up. It is time to keep our environment clean. So, everybody should wake up. Cameras will be installed for monitoring soon. It is time for us to do the right thing. Obey the law. The law is no respecter of anyone.”
On the training for law enforcement officers, Aderemi stated, “We set up the training workshop so that those enforcing the law can go out. It is important for them to be trained for them to know exactly what they are doing.
“Sometimes, you talk about laws, and you want to arrest a person. It is not just for you to arrest all the time. You need to let the people know why you are arresting them. You need to let them know that it is important for them to always obey the law. It is when they know these facts that they will be able to stop all the wrongdoings.”