Oyo State Government Arraign Traders Before Court For Street Trading

Some Of The Traders Bag Jail Term

Forty Four illegal street traders in Ibadan metropolis on Monday were brought before magistrate Patricia Adetuyibi on the premises of the Oyo State Ministry of Environment and Water Resources by the Oyo State Government for illegal placement of their goods on public roads.

Report has it that some of the traders bagged jail terms, with the government revealing that the accused were prosecuted under Section 2, Sub-Section 14 of the Oyo State Solid Waste Management Offences, Fines and Sanctions Law.

The State government stated that street trading would not be tolerated in the state.

Isaac Ishola, the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, stated in a statement by Mr Toye Arulogun, the Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, that the traders promised not to return to the street, adding that they were sentenced to two months’ imprisonment with an option of fines ranging from ₦5,000 to N10,000.

The statement read, “It will be recalled that the Oyo State Government had been sensitising the general public, especially traders in the state, to stop displaying their goods on public roads.

“We have engaged them on this cause, we have sensitised them, we have made them realised the benefit of environmental hygiene.

“Trading on the street is against the environmental law of Oyo State; we have made a series of arrests and taken the offenders before magistrates. If they are guilty, the court will sentence them to prison or an option of fine, but we are not really interested in the fines, but compliance to no street trading.

“In essence, all what we are saying is no more street trading which is what the law says.”

Ishola advised traders to comply with the no street trading law of Oyo State, noting that the government would not fold its arms and allow the citizens to lose their lives in the name of street trading.