The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) has intensified its clampdown on environmental violators in the South-West, sealing no fewer than 38 facilities across Ogun, Osun, Ekiti and Lagos corridors for offences ranging from toxic pollution to failure to obtain mandatory environmental documents.
Director-General of NESREA, Prof. Innocent Barikor, who led the enforcement exercise, said the move was necessary to safeguard public health and restore environmental integrity, particularly in communities already threatened by industrial hazards.
In Ogun State’s Ogijo community, nine battery and scrap metal recycling facilities were sealed for endangering residents with hazardous lead contamination. Barikor disclosed that medical tests confirmed traces of lead in community members, with several cases of illness and deaths linked to indiscriminate waste disposal by the operators.
“The situation in Ogijo has been disturbing. These facilities have continuously discharged toxic slag from battery recycling without adopting best practices or technology. Despite repeated interventions by government and stakeholders, they remain unrepentant. Their activities directly threaten human lives and the ecosystem,” he said.
Among the affected companies are Vedanta Metal Industries Limited, Metal Manufacturing Nigeria Limited, African Non-Ferrous Limited, True Metals Nigeria Limited, BPL Nigeria Limited, Hanushi Manufacturing Limited, Pristine Elt. Pvt. Limited, Timto Alu Company Limited, and Ecomade Industries Limited.
The violations, according to NESREA, include lack of Environmental Audit Reports, absence of Environmental Impact Statements, poor slag management, indiscriminate discharge of black oil, lack of fume treatment plants, and failure to conduct blood-lead tests for staff.
Beyond recycling, the enforcement covered other sectors:
Construction and Quarrying: 10 companies, including Strabic Construction Ltd, Hitech Construction Ltd, and Craneburg Construction Company, were sealed for operating without environmental approvals.
Plastics and Industrial Operations: Five facilities along the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway, including Polo Good Intl. Company Ltd and Vanke Machinery Ltd, were shut for ignoring environmental safety regulations.
Food and Beverages: GS Agriculture Limited in Osogbo was sealed for lacking required documents.
Non-Metallic Minerals: West Stone and Marble Processing Company in Ikirun was sealed for failing to submit its Environmental Audit Report.
Motor Vehicle Assembly: Icheetah Nigeria Limited in Abeokuta was shut down for non-compliance.
Endangered Species: Solomon Kensington Agro Allied in Iperu-Remo was sealed for failing to provide an effluent treatment plant and a comprehensive list of animal species in its facility.
Prof. Barikor emphasized that NESREA will no longer tolerate persistent disregard for environmental laws.
> “Our duty to Nigerians is a solemn responsibility. We are done with appeals. Any facility that undermines environmental safety and public health will be sanctioned. If you refuse to comply with the law, you will face the consequences,” he warned.
The crackdown, he added, is part of NESREA’s renewed nationwide enforcement strategy aimed at compelling industries to embrace environmentally sustainable practices and protecting vulnerable communities from toxic hazards.
