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Freedom Ambassadors Organization, a civil society group has called on the Edo State Government to prioritize investment in modern sanitation infrastructure rather than pursue an appeal against a recent court judgment voiding restrictions on human and vehicular movement during monthly environmental sanitation exercises.
The group’s position follows a March 26, 2026 ruling by Justice Isoken Urhomwen Erameh of the Edo State High Court in Benin City, which declared the enforcement of a stay-at-home order between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. on sanitation days unconstitutional.
The court held that the restriction violates Section 41(1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which guarantees freedom of movement, and is also inconsistent with Articles 12 and 13 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
During a press briefing in Benin City recently, the organization’s Founder and President, Curtis Ogbebor, criticized the state government’s plan to appeal the ruling, describing it as a misplaced priority amid growing sanitation challenges.
Ogbebor said comments by the Commissioner for Environment and Sustainability, Nosa Adams, who defended the restriction based on provisions of the Edo State Environmental and Pollution Law, reflect a disregard for constitutional supremacy and judicial authority.
He argued that the provisions cited by the commissioner had already been invalidated by a court of competent jurisdiction, warning that any further attempt to enforce movement restrictions could amount to contempt of court.
The organization maintained that environmental sanitation is the statutory responsibility of local government councils, as outlined in the Fourth Schedule of the 1999 Constitution, and should not be transferred to residents through compulsory participation.
According to Ogbebor, effective sanitation requires daily, system-driven interventions backed by government investment in waste management infrastructure, rather than periodic restriction-based exercises.
He identified key gaps in the state’s sanitation framework, including inadequate waste collection trucks, lack of public waste bins, weak environmental health enforcement, and limited investment in recycling and sewage management.
The group warned it is prepared to challenge any appeal filed by the state government, insisting that public resources would be better utilized in building an efficient and modern waste management system capable of addressing the state’s environmental concerns.
