An Akure court has ordered the sealing of Olukayode Shopping Plaza in Akure, Ondo State, following allegations of improper disposal of waste suspected to pose a threat to public health.
The court also ordered the remand of a driver, Olorunwa Sunday, at the Olokuta Correctional Facility over his alleged involvement in the transportation and disposal of the substance.
The Ondo State Ministry of Environment had approached the court after receiving reports that a vehicle conveying a substance emitting an offensive odour had been intercepted.
The ministry alleged that the shopping plaza had engaged an unregistered private waste handler to manually evacuate a filled soakaway pit and dispose of its contents.
According to the ministry, the waste was subsequently dumped by the roadside along the Oba Ile-Airport Road in a manner capable of producing an obnoxious odour and exposing residents to health risks.
The Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Akinluyi Omotola, disclosed this while leading officials to seal the premises, saying the vehicle was intercepted following information supplied by a concerned citizen.
Akinluyi said the informant acted on credible intelligence, which enabled the authorities to track the vehicle and apprehend the driver before handing him over to the police for questioning and further investigation.
He identified the driver as Sunday, a Delta State indigene residing in Oke-Aro, who allegedly told investigators that he had been contracted to dispose of the suspected malodorous substance from Olukayode House at any convenient location.
The Commissioner for Environment, Tob Loko, assured residents that the state government would take all necessary measures to protect public health and the environment.
Loko said the premises would undergo proper inspection, including examination of the septic tank, while environmental professionals would fumigate the facility to safeguard occupants and members of the public.
Although Olukayode Shopping Plaza was not represented in court, the judge ordered that the premises be sealed, citing the sensitivity of the alleged offence and the need to protect public health.
The case was adjourned until Thursday, September 17, 2026, for further hearing, while the driver was ordered to remain in custody at the Olokuta Correctional Facility.