A Magistrate Court sitting in Buruku has sentenced Mahmud Anas and John Yakubu, both of Pangole Market, for assaulting an officer of the Plateau State Environmental Protection and Sanitation Agency (PEPSA).
The two men were arraigned by the agency following an incident at Pangole Market in the Bukuru metropolis, where PEPSA officers were conducting a routine sanitation exercise.
During the exercise, an officer reportedly cautioned a trader over improper refuse disposal, an intervention that led to the assault by the convicts.
PEPSA stated that the attack posed a serious threat to public order, sanitation, and the agency’s ongoing environmental protection efforts across the state.
According to the agency, the prosecution was intended to serve as a strong warning against violence or intimidation directed at public officials performing lawful duties, particularly those enforcing environmental regulations and safeguarding public health in Plateau State.
At the conclusion of their trial on Friday, the court sentenced both men to three and a half years’ imprisonment, with an option of a ₦500,000 fine each. The convicts, however, opted to pay the fine instead of serving the jail term.
Following this decision, the court further ordered them to undertake three months of structured community service involving street-cleaning activities within Pangole Market.
In addition, they were directed to serve as PEPSA ambassadors, tasked with promoting environmental awareness, peaceful coexistence, and cooperation with sanitation authorities.
The case also highlighted PEPSA’s prior engagement with market leadership, including sensitization campaigns and the provision of waste collection materials aimed at encouraging proper refuse disposal and discouraging illegal dumping.
Meanwhile, PEPSA has reaffirmed its commitment to enforcing environmental laws and ensuring a clean, safe, and healthy environment for residents of Plateau State.
