The Oyo State Environmental Mobile and Tribunal Court has found guilty at least 13 people running unauthorized diesel sales businesses along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway’s toll gate axis.
The prisoners who engaged in hazardous waste-generating operations in contravention of the state’s environmental rules were fined ₦200,000 each or, if they failed to get permits from the appropriate regulatory bodies, faced a five-year prison sentence.
This was stated in a statement that was acquired on Monday and signed by Dotun Oyelade, the Commissioner for Information and Orientation.
The Oyo State Road Traffic Management Authority (OYRTMA) in Ibadan is where the ruling was handed, according to the statement.
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According to Oyo State Environmental Laws and Regulations, selling diesel and petroleum products without the required authorization presents considerable risks to public health and safety and carries severe penalties, said Presiding Judge Jubreel Adio.
The court was quoted in the release as saying, “The defendants pleaded for leniency and admitted to operating without the necessary approvals.” Ignorance of the law, however, is not a justification.
Given that the offenders were first-time offenders and seemed to be regular merchants, the court exercised discretion even though the standard penalty for the infraction is ₦5 million or a five-year jail sentence. As a warning, each received a reduced fine of ₦200,000.
Allow this to act as a warning to others. Barrister Jubreel cautioned that if any of the defendants resurface before this tribunal, they will be subject to the full force of the law without any leniency.
Two prominent members of the community, Mr. Olalere Hassan and Mr. Saheed Folarin, offered to act as sureties for the convicted individuals as part of a goodwill agreement.
Until the fines are paid in full, Hassan pledged his silver 2006 Toyota RAV4 papers, registered as LLD 587JQ, as collateral.
The presiding judge made it clear that if the fines were not paid, the sureties would be held accountable.
However, he reaffirmed that the tribunal’s goals are to compel compliance, protect the environment, and guarantee public safety rather than to impose needless punishment.
Similar offenders have previously been punished up to ₦1 million each. The purpose of this court is to enforce the law, not to engage in extortion. You are lucky today. You might not encounter a forgiving judge the next time,” the message continued.
