Authorities in Delta State have intensified their crackdown on unregistered PET bottle collection operators, arresting 12 individuals during a coordinated raid on illegal dump sites in Asaba. The operation, led by the Delta State Ministry of Environment in collaboration with the Asaba Capital Territory Development Agency (ACTDA), targeted multiple locations across the state capital.
Among the sites raided were the former Textile Mile premises, Ibusa Road, Okpanam Road, behind the A Division of the Nigeria Police Force, behind the MTN office, and the Expressway between Summit Road and Asaba Airport. Officials said the move was part of ongoing efforts to enforce environmental regulations and eliminate unauthorized waste collection activities.
Assistant Director of Sanitation and Waste Management, Sylvester Ofuyekpone, revealed that the arrests were prompted by the failure of PET bottle operators and scavengers to comply with the government’s directive to register with the Ministry of Environment. He stressed that the state had banned unregulated scavenging, making it mandatory for all PET bottle collection businesses to obtain Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) certification and register with the ministry.
To streamline operations, the government appointed consultants for Delta North, Delta Central, and Delta South, but despite several awareness campaigns, many operators resisted registration. As a result, authorities launched the enforcement action to compel compliance.
The arrested individuals were arraigned in court and fined for failing to register their businesses. However, Ofuyekpone clarified that paying the fines did not exempt them from completing the mandatory registration process, which requires an annual fee. He added that smaller operators could form clusters and register collectively, provided they had CAC certification.
He noted that top government officials, including the Secretary to the State Government and the Commissioner for Environment, were frustrated with the operators’ reluctance to comply with the registration directive. “We issued several notices, but they refused to register. We had no choice but to take action. Compliance is non-negotiable because these regulations are meant to safeguard the environment, lives, and property,” Ofuyekpone stated.
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However, one of the arrested operators, Jude Madaiki Babayi, claimed that while they were aware of the registration requirement, they were still in the process of complying when officials stormed their sites. He argued that the N1 million registration fee was too high, making it difficult for many operators to meet the government’s demand.
Babayi also raised concerns over the transparency of the new registration process, alleging that the payment was directed to an account that did not appear to be an official government account. He further revealed that operators had previously paid over N200,000 for uniforms and other registration-related expenses before the government canceled the process without refunds.
“We are not refusing to register, but we need to be sure this new process is legitimate before paying again,” Babayi explained.
The raid is in line with the state government’s determination to enforce environmental regulations and bring all waste management activities under strict oversight, despite resistance from operators.
