The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) has sealed a Kano-based company for violation of environmental laws.

Aspira Nigeria Limited, located along Hadejia Road in the Nasarawa council area, was sealed by the North West zonal director, Mudaishir Raheem, and his team on Friday.

“Today, we have come to seal this company for not complying with some relevant environmental laws, such as the disposal of their waste and untreated effluents. We are expected to manage the environment and not to destroy it,” stated Mr Raheem.

He added, “If we must site a company, we are expected to follow and comply with relevant laws put in place to protect the integrity of the environment. We have issued compliance notice thrice; also, we issued two abatement notices as a warning, but the facility owners failed to comply, and we have no option than to apply the law.”

The NESREA zonal director explained that the company was expected to correct the anomalies before the unsealing by the agency.

Mr Raheem added that the company discharged untreated wastewater and effluent to the environment and the non-availability of a functional effluent treatment plant.

He explained expanding production and storage facilities without a site-specific environmental impact assessment.

“Parameters such as pH, dissolved oxygen, total dissolved solids, turbidity, and appearance were not within NESREA Permissible Standards during the in situ analysis of the wastewater at the outlet of the company,” Mr Raheem stated.

He stressed that all the offences constituted a threat to the environment (water bodies, land, neighbouring communities).

The NESREA director explained that the enforcement (sealing) exercise was necessitated by the company’s non-compliance with the timeline on the Abatement Notice issued on April 19, 2023.

(NAN)