Sanitation: CSO warns Edo government of disregard for movement ban

‎A civil society organisation, Freedom Ambassadors Organisation, on Tuesday warned the Edo State Government against attempting to continue enforcing movement restrictions during the monthly environmental sanitisation.

The organization warned that such action could amount to contempt of court.

The warning follows a March 26, 2026 ruling by the Edo State High Court in Benin City, which quashed the enforcement of a stay-at-home order from 7am to 10am on sanitisation days and declared it unconstitutional.

Justice Isoken Urhomwen Erameh, in the ruling, found that the restriction violated Article 41(1) of the 1999 Constitution, which guarantees freedom of movement, and also contravened Articles 12 and 13 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

‎At a press conference in Benin City, the organization’s founder and president, Curtis Ogbebor, said that “any continuation of the enforcement of the suspended restrictions would undermine the court’s authority.”

‎Ogbebor warned that ignoring the ruling or attempting to uphold the movement restriction through other means could expose the relevant authorities to contempt proceedings.

‎He also criticized the state government’s plan to appeal the ruling, describing it as a misplacement of priorities in the face of urgent sanitation challenges.

‎He said that, rather than pursuing litigation, the government should focus on strengthening waste management systems and investing in modern sanitation infrastructure.

He added that effective sanitation requires daily, structured interventions, improved waste collection systems and greater environmental protection, rather than periodic closures.

‎Ogbebor highlighted gaps in the state’s sanitation framework, including inadequate waste trucks, insufficient public waste containers, weak enforcement mechanisms and poor investment in recycling and wastewater management.