109-Year-Old Akara Seller Arrested for Sanitation Violation

Chidinma Eluwa, a 109-year-old bean cake seller, was arrested by the Abia State Government on Saturday for allegedly violating the state's monthly environmental sanitation exercise. Eluwa was frying bean cakes during the sanitation period on Owerri Road and was subsequently arraigned in sanitation court alongside 65 other alleged offenders.

However, she was discharged by Magistrate O.C. Ibekwe on compassionate grounds after she pledged to comply with the state's sanitation orders.

Out of the 66 alleged offenders, seven were discharged for health reasons, while nine received sentences of community service. The Abia State Government has warned that it may resort to stricter enforcement of the monthly sanitation exercise due to low compliance among residents.

Philemon Ogbonna, the Commissioner for Environment, expressed concern over the poor turnout for the sanitation exercise, attributing it to a three-month suspension of the exercise. Local government chairmen were urged to mobilize residents for cleanliness efforts.