Section 243-251 of the Nigerian Criminal Code Act
Section 243, 244, 245, 246, 247, 248, 249, 250, 251 of the Nigerian Criminal Code Act is under Chapter 23 (Offences against Public Health)_ 243-248_ and Chapter 24 (Idle and disorderly persons; rogues and vagabonds; bringing contempt on uniform) _ 249-251_ of the Act.
Section 243 of the Nigerian Criminal Code Act
Exposing for sale things unfit for food or drink
(1) Any person who sells, as food or drink, or has in his possession with intent to sell it as food or
drink, any article which has been rendered or has become noxious, or is in a state unfit for food or drink,
knowing or having reason to believe that the same is noxious as food or drink, or is in a state unfit for
food or drink, is guilty of a misdemeanor and is liable to imprisonment for one year.
Adulteration of food or drink intended for sale
(2) Any person who adulterates any article of food or drink, so as to make such article noxious as
food or drink, intending to sell such article as food or drink or knowing it to be likely that the same will
be sold as food or drink, is guilty of a misdemeanor and is liable to imprisonment for one year.
Section 244 of the Nigerian Criminal Code Act
Dealing in diseased meat
Any person who‐
(1) knowingly takes into a slaughter‐house used for the slaughter of any animals intended for
the food of man the whole or any part of the carcass of any animal which has died of any disease; or
(2) knowingly sells the whole or part of the carcass of any animal which has died of any disease
or which was diseased when slaughtered,
is guilty of a misdemeanor and is liable to imprisonment for two years.
Section 245 of the Nigerian Criminal Code Act
Fouling water
Any person who corrupts or fouls the water of any spring, stream, well, tank, reservoir, or place, so as to
render it less fit for the purpose for which it is ordinarily used, is guilty of a misdemeanor and is liable to
imprisonment for six months.
Section 246 of the Nigerian Criminal Code Act
Burials in houses
Any person who without the consent of the President or the Governor buries or attempts to bury any
corpse in any house, building premises, yard, garden, compound, or within a hundred yards of any
dwelling‐house, or in any open space situated within a township, is guilty of a misdemeanor and is liable
to imprisonment for six months.
[L.N. 112 of 1964. 1967 No. 27.]
Section 247 of the Nigerian Criminal Code Act
Noxious acts
Any person who‐
(a) vitiates the atmosphere in any place so as to make it noxious to the health of persons in
general dwelling or carrying on business in the neighbourhood or passing along a public
way; or
(b) does any act which is, and which he knows or has reason to believe to be, likely to
spread the infection of any disease dangerous to life, whether human or animal,
is guilty of a misdemeanor and is liable to imprisonment for six months.
Section 248 of the Nigerian Criminal Code Act
Sale of matches made with white phosphorus: use of white phosphorus in manufacture of
matches
Any person who‐
(a) sells or has in his possession for the purposes of sale any matches made with white
(yellow) phosphorus; or
(b) uses white (yellow) phosphorus in the manufacture of matches,
is guilty of an offence and liable to a fine of twenty naira, and any matches in respect of which the
offence shall have been committed shall be forfeited.
CHAPTER 24 – Idle and disorderly persons; rogues and vagabonds; bringing contempt on uniform
Section 249 of the Nigerian Criminal Code Act
Idle and disorderly persons
The following persons‐
(a) every common prostitute‐
(i) behaving in a disorderly or indecent manner in any public place;
(ii) loitering and persistently importuning or soliciting persons for the purpose of
prostitution;
(b) every person wandering or placing himself in any public place to beg or gather alms, or
causing or procuring or encouraging any child or children so to do;
(c) every person playing at any game of chance for money or money’s worth in any public
place; and
(d) every person who, in any public place, conducts himself in a manner likely to cause a
breach of the peace,
shall be deemed idle and disorderly persons and may be arrested without warrant, and are guilty of a
simple offence and liable to imprisonment for one month.
Section 250 of the Nigerian Criminal Code Act
Rogues and vagabonds
The following persons‐
(1) every person convicted of an offence under section 249 of this Code after having been
previously convicted as an idle and disorderly person;
(2) every person wandering abroad and endeavouring by the exposure of wounds or
deformation to obtain or gather alms;
(3) every person going about as a gatherer or collector of alms, or endeavouring to procure
charitable contributions of any nature or kind, under any false or fraudulent pretence;
(4) every suspected person or reputed thief who has no visible means of subsistence and cannot
give a good account of himself;
(5) every person who exercises control, direction or influence over the movements of a
prostitute in such a manner as to show that he is aiding, abetting, or controlling, her prostitution with
any man, whether a particular man or not;
(6) every person found wandering in or upon or near any premises or in any road or highway or
any place adjacent thereto or in any public place at such time and under such circumstances as to lead
to the conclusion that such person is there for an illegal or disorderly purpose,
shall be deemed to be a rogue and vagabond and is guilty of a misdemeanor and is liable on summary
conviction for the first offence to imprisonment for three months and for every subsequent offence to
imprisonment for one year.
An offender may be arrested without warrant.
Section 251 of the Nigerian Criminal Code Act
Bringing contempt on uniform
Any person who, not being a person serving in any of the armed or police forces of Nigeria, wears the
uniform of any of these forces, or any dress having the appearance or bearing any of the regimental or
other distinctive marks of any such uniform, in such manner or in such circumstances as to be likely to
bring contempt on that uniform, or employs any other person so to wear such uniform or dress, is guilty
of a simple offence, and is liable to imprisonment for three months or to a fine of forty naira.
[L.N. 112 of 1964.]
