A man in northern Nigeria has been sentenced to two weeks in prison after neighbours complained that he was storing bags of human faeces outside his home, which they said made life unbearable.
Mohammed Saidu was taken to court in the city of Kano after residents reported the foul smell to environmental officials.
Magistrate Halima Wali ordered that he be detained for 14 days and fined 100,000 naira (£55; $74). She described his actions as highly inconsiderate and a threat to his neighbours’ health.
Saidu, whose job is to empty septic tanks, is believed to have been selling the faeces to farmers for use as fertiliser — a common practice in the region, though one that is rarely publicly acknowledged.
“I think he had close to 50 bags of faeces the first time the complaint reached me,” local chief Musa Abdullahi told the BBC.
Neighbours said the stench from the property had become so overwhelming that it was impossible to relax at home.
One of those who complained, Samaila Inuwa, told the BBC that they had initially tried to resolve the matter privately.
“We spoke to him about it, but he didn’t stop,” Inuwa said.
In court, Saidu pleaded guilty to the charge of endangering public health.
Before delivering her ruling, Magistrate Wali visited the property to see the bags of faeces for herself.
She ordered Saidu to clear all the waste from the premises and promise never to repeat the offence.
Inuwa said life had already improved for residents since the case was brought to court.
“Finally, our neighbourhood is enjoyable once more without any bad smell,” he said.
The local chief said he had intervened when Saidu started storing the waste.
“When he first started, I spoke to him about it, and he removed the bags and stopped,” he said. “I did not know when he resumed.”
He added that neighbours had chosen to bypass him this time and go directly to the authorities.
Abdullahi said his own home was far enough away that he had not been affected by the smell, but he understood the residents’ frustration.
“My mission is for everybody in this area to live in peace,” he said. “When he is released, we will talk to him and the neighbours again.”
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