A Bauchi State Mobile Court on Tuesday sentenced a hotelier, Basma Zakariya, to three months’ imprisonment or a fine of N20,000 for flouting the state’s environmental regulations.
Zakariya was convicted for operating her hotel business during the mandatory monthly sanitation hours, an act the court ruled was in clear violation of Section 33 of the Bauchi State Environmental Act 2017.
Delivering judgment, the presiding judge, Justice Laraba Hamisu, stressed that the ruling should serve as a deterrent to others who undermine the state’s efforts at promoting a clean and healthy environment.
“The punishment is not only corrective but also preventive. Citizens must learn to comply with sanitation laws or face the consequences,” Justice Hamisu said.
The court, however, granted Zakariya the option of paying a fine of N20,000 in lieu of imprisonment. The judge also informed the defendant of her constitutional right to appeal the verdict within 30 days if dissatisfied.
Officials of the Bauchi State Environmental Protection Agency (BASEPA), who facilitated the prosecution, reiterated their commitment to strict enforcement of sanitation laws, warning that similar defaulters would not be spared.
