A Mobile Court in Minna‎ on Tuesday fined owners of wandering animals N79, 000 to get them back from the Niger State Environment Protection Agency (NISEPA).

Alhaji Abdulrahman Idris of the Minna Magistrate Court, who handed down the penalty, said it was to serve as deterrent.

“The animals the agency arrested are generally constituting a public nuisance and causing serious risk to the general driving public”, he said.

187 goats and sheep were arrested and each attracted a fine of N1, 000 and a feeding cost of N500.

NAN reports that the accused persons pleaded guilty to the charge and begged for‎ leniency through reduction of fine.

‎General Manager of NISEPA, Mr Lucky Barau, urged residents to complement government’s efforts at keeping the state clean for the well being of all.