The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency shut 13 facilities in the Federal Capital Territory for non-compliance to environmental regulations.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, the Director-General of NESREA, Aliyu Jauro, disclosed this while speaking with newsmen after the exercise on Friday in Abuja, noting that the facilities were sealed for various environmental crimes.
The facilities sealed include Veritas Plastics, Almat Farms, Dayak Nigeria Limited, FIK Contracting Limited, Salis Ventilated Homes Ltd, and Peachville Estate.
Others are, Net Construction Nigeria Limited, Sazak Acre Bilogue, Coppa D’alberto Ltd, Efab Properties Ltd, Homes, Phinada Mill and Skippers Electronics.
Mr Aliyu, represented by the Director of Inspection and Enforcement in the agency, Abdulsalam Isa, stated that due process was followed in closing down the facilities.
The NESREA boss explained that the exercise was in line with the presidential bond and a fallout of the Federal Ministry of Environment’s retreat in Kaduna, on Environmental Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement for 2024.
“As part of the NESREA mandate to ensure compliance as well as enforce compliance with extant Environmental Standards, Guidelines, Rules and Regulations in Nigeria, the Agency embarked on enforcement to seal 13 recalcitrant facilities in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, on Friday.
“NESREA sealed a total of 13 facilities in the FCT for various environmental crimes,” he said.
Jauro stressed that the facilities were shut down for failing to abate environmental concerns ranging from Environmental Impact Assessment, Environmental Audit, Environmental Management Plans, and Environmental Permit among others.
He noted that these environmental concerns included both the ” Green” and “Brown” environment.
“A total of 10 facilities in the green sector and three in the brown sector were sealed.
“The agency had followed due process in clamping down on these facilities after exhausting all relevant communications in respect of their environmental status.
“It was observed that some of the facilities earlier sealed had broken the Federal Government seals.
“However, such facilities are to face punitive measures for their actions,” he said.
Jauro stated that the enforcement would be replicated in all the states of the federation.
“The agency frowns at the high level of non-compliance of facilities to environmental laws of the land, and will go ahead to replicate enforcement in all states of the federation,” he said.