Elderly Akara Seller Arrested for Sanitation Offence in Abia

A 109-year-old bean cake seller, Chidinma Eluwa, was among 66 individuals arrested by the Abia State Government on Saturday for violating the monthly environmental sanitation exercise.

Eluwa was taken into custody after she was found frying bean cakes on Owerri Road during the mandatory cleanup hours. She was subsequently arraigned before a sanitation court alongside other alleged offenders. However, the presiding magistrate, O. C. Ibekwe, discharged the centenarian on compassionate grounds, after which she pledged to adhere to the state’s sanitation regulations moving forward.

Of the 66 people brought before the court, nine were sentenced to community service, while seven others were discharged due to health or student-related circumstances.

The exercise, which saw a low turnout of residents, drew criticism from state officials who expressed concern over declining compliance levels. Philemon Ogbonna, the Commissioner for Environment, noted that the recent three-month suspension of the monthly cleanup has resulted in significant refuse accumulation in major markets, including Orie Ugba.

“Residents in Umuahia especially respond better to enforcement than advice,” the Commissioner stated, adding that the state may transition toward more aggressive enforcement measures to ensure public order and cleanliness.

Kalu Mba-Nwoke, Chairman of the House Committee on Environment, echoed these sentiments, urging citizens to view environmental hygiene as a daily obligation rather than a duty performed only during state-mandated hours.

Despite the general lack of compliance reported by the government, some community groups signaled their support for the initiative. Alhaji Yaro Danladi, leader of the Northern Community in Abia, stated that his members actively participated in the cleanup to demonstrate their commitment to the state’s environmental goals.

State officials have now called on local government chairmen to intensify mobilization efforts and improve supervision to ensure that future sanitation exercises achieve higher levels of public participation.