Rivers State Waste Management Agency (RIWAMA) arrested 17 persons in Port Harcourt on Friday for indiscriminate dumping of refuse.

Its Sole Administrator, Mr. Felix Obuah, said in a statement issued on Saturday that the arrests became expedient as some residents willfully ignored repeated warnings against indiscriminate waste disposal.

“A task force has been inaugurated to enforce, arrest and prosecute any person(s) caught breaching the order.

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“During the enforcement, 17 defaulters were caught dumping wastes indiscriminately on the median of the road. The defaulters were subsequently arrested,’’ Obuah said in the statement.

He stressed that the agency had shifted position from sensitization and appeals to outright arrest and prosecution to ensure people desisted from the unhygienic act.