The Ogun State Waste Management Authority (OGWAMA) has sealed Dahua Paper Company Ltd. in Owowo Village, near Abeokuta, over alleged illegal waste dumping, open burning and pollution of a nearby river.
OGWAMA Managing Director, Faruk Akintunde, led the authority’s enforcement team to the company on Tuesday following months of monitoring and intelligence gathering.
Akintunde said investigations showed that the company had been operating an unauthorised dumpsite opposite its factory, where waste was allegedly dumped and openly burnt.
He said the company was also found pushing waste from the dumpsite into a nearby river, a practice he warned could contaminate water sources and expose residents of surrounding communities to health risks.
“To confirm our intelligence report, the company was found operating at the illegal dumpsite and pushing waste into a river at the end of the dumpsite,” Akintunde said.
According to him, the river serves communities around the area, raising concerns over the possible contamination of surface and underground water.
The OGWAMA boss said the company’s activities contravened provisions of the Ogun State Environmental and Public Health Law 2006 and Section 2(b)(a) of the OGWAMA Law 2020.
He said the laws prohibit open burning of waste and provide sanctions, including the sealing of facilities found violating environmental regulations.
Two lorries allegedly used to transport waste to the illegal dumpsite were also found at the location and confiscated by the enforcement team.
Akintunde said the company would remain sealed while the authorities pursue the appropriate legal action against it.
He warned individuals and organisations operating unauthorised dumpsites or engaging in open burning of waste to stop the practice or risk enforcement action.
The OGWAMA managing director urged waste generators and businesses to register with the authority and adopt approved waste disposal methods to avoid environmental and legal consequences.
