The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) has sealed 29 facilities in the South-West zone for environmental pollution and violations of extant environmental laws.

In a statement on Thursday, NESREA spokesperson Nwamaka Ejiofor said the agency had sealed nine recycling facilities in Ogijo, a community in Ogun, for environmental pollution, as well as 20 others in Ekiti, Osun, and Ogun, for various environmental violations.

The facilities sealed included Vedanta Metal Industries Limited, Ogijo, Ogun; Metal Manufacturing Nigeria Limited, Ogijo, Ogun; nd Laralek Ultimate Limited (Arc Legacy Project), Ota, Ogun.

Others include S & M Nigeria Ltd, Ekiti State; Step Development Ltd, Ekiti; and SLAVABOGU Nigeria Limited, Awo-Iyowe Road, Egbedore LGA, Osun, among others.

NESREA’s director-general, Innocent Barikor, said the enforcement exercise was in line with the agency’s mandate of prohibiting activities and processes that undermine environmental quality.

Mr Barikor said it had become expedient to take drastic action against non-compliant recyclers in the Ogijo community,  as their operations have continued to endanger lives.

“The situation in Ogijo has been of concern due to the harmful activities of battery and scrap metal recyclers. This also includes improper disposal of hazardous slag from battery recycling, which threatens environmental degradation and public health risks from toxic lead content.

“Tests have revealed the presence of lead in residents, resulting in illnesses and deaths,” Mr Barikor said.

He stated that the failure of the facilities to adopt best available technology in their operations was in contravention of the National Environmental (Battery Control) Regulations 2024.
Barikor explained that there have been several stakeholders’ interventions, which involved federal and state Ministries of Environment, NESREA, and state environmental protection agencies, and

He said that a recent tour of the community revealed total disregard for the provisions of the National Environmental (Battery Control) Regulations, 2024.

“Their offences include a lack of environmental documents, such as the Environmental Audit Report (EAR), the Environmental Impact Statement, permits, and a lack of a fume treatment plant.

”Others are indiscriminate discharge of black oil, failure to carry out blood-lead tests on staff, no proper slag management, manual battery breaking and washing, and non-compliance with the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Programme.

“Our duty to Nigerians is a solemn responsibility. We are no longer appealing to any facility to comply with the laws. When you refuse to obey, you face the consequences. We will not hesitate to enforce the law,” Mr Barikor said.

(NAN)