The CRUX Environmental Rights, Advocacy and Development Foundation (CERADF) has urged the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to immediately reactivate Environmental Courts and Tribunals across the FCT to confront what it describes as an escalating sanitation and public-health crisis in the nation’s capital.
In a letter dated November 26, 2025, and addressed to the Minister, the group said Abuja can no longer rely on the limited mobile courts introduced by the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) in 2022, insisting the scale of environmental violations has outgrown the system.
CERADF is calling for the creation of a central Environmental Court within the High Court of the FCT and the establishment of specialised tribunals across all six Area Councils — AMAC, Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje, Abaji and Kwali.
The organisation said field assessments carried out in Gwarinpa, Utako, Mpape, Kubwa, Nyanya, Karu, Lugbe, Kuje, Apo Mechanic Village and parts of the Central Business District revealed “alarming levels of waste accumulation, blocked drainages, recurrent flooding, rodent infestation and widespread foul odours.”
According to CERADF, these conditions pose significant public-health risks and have contributed to reputational damage to Abuja as the nation’s administrative and diplomatic hub.
“Waste-management agencies are overstretched, enforcement is weak, and penalties are too mild to deter offenders,” the group warned.
While acknowledging ongoing sensitisation efforts by the FCTA, CERADF said such interventions must be backed by a judicial system capable of delivering swift justice on environmental offences.
The organisation is recommending: Reactivation of Environmental Courts and Tribunals across all Area Councils for accessible and speedy trials.
Collaboration with the Chief Judge of the FCT to designate specialised judges and develop practice directions for environmental litigation.
Empowerment of agencies such as NESREA, AEPB, FCT Environmental Task Forces and Area Councils to file charges directly.
Creation of a multi-agency enforcement framework involving the Federal Ministry of Environment, FCTA, NESREA, AEPB, Area Councils and accredited CSOs.
Community-wide sensitisation campaigns to promote behavioural change.
An annual Environmental Compliance Assessment to track Abuja’s progress and guide policy reform.
The foundation noted that although the AEPB introduced mobile courts in 2022, “the scale and complexity of environmental infractions now confronting the FCT have rendered these measures inadequate.”
The letter, signed by Country Director Ms. Iviakpellas Mercy, Project Director Mr. Koko Ademuyiwa, and Director of Communications Mr. Eswati Luka Ikpi, emphasised the urgency of a more comprehensive judicial response.
CERADF said it is ready to support the FCT Administration through community mobilisation, research, environmental reporting and stakeholder engagements.
“The reactivation of Environmental Courts and Tribunals in the FCT is timely, necessary and transformative,” the letter reads. “It will strengthen enforcement, safeguard public health, elevate Abuja’s environmental standards and align Nigeria with international best practices.”
The organisation urged Minister Wike to treat the request as a priority, warning that failure to act swiftly could worsen the capital’s environmental and public-health challenges.
