NESREA shuts down Abuja Quarry after blasting incident injures students, damages school

The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) has sealed a quarry site operated by Cornerstone and managed by Istanbul Quarry in the Dutse area of Abuja after a blasting incident left several students and staff of Graceland High School injured.

The closure was announced in a statement released on Thursday by NESREA’s Assistant Director of Press, Nwamaka Ejiofor.

According to the agency, debris from Wednesday’s blasting operation at the quarry reportedly flew into the school premises, injuring learners and members of staff while also causing significant damage to school buildings.

“Investigations by NESREA showed that the students were in their various classes writing exams when they heard a bang at about 12.30 pm, followed by flying rocks which destroyed the school buildings, with 11 students and 2 staff of the school sustaining various degrees of injury. Nearby shops were also affected by the flying rocks,” the statement said.

Deputy Director of Conservation Monitoring, Glory Uboh, explained that the shutdown became necessary because the operation violated the National Environmental (Quarrying and Blasting Operations) Regulations 2013.

She said, “What happened is life threatening, that was why we had to move in immediately to seal the facility. Cornerstone, managed by Istanbul Quarry, which carried out the blasting operation will be sanctioned because our preliminary investigation shows contradiction to Quarry operating procedure and regulations. We will continue with our investigations and the facility will definitely be sanctioned in line with the National Environmental (Quarry and Blasting Operations) Regulations 2013.”

In a separate enforcement action, NESREA and the Ogun State Ministry of Environment also sealed several recycling facilities in the Ogijo area of Ogun State on Thursday.

The agency said the operators failed to comply with the National Environmental (Battery Control) Regulations 2024 and a protocol established to ensure proper handling of used lead-acid batteries and to protect both residents and the environment.

Under the protocol, the facilities had committed to safely manage ULAB slag and base metal residue, ensure the health and safety of workers—including annual blood lead tests—and provide adequate personal protective equipment.

“The recyclers, as duty to the host community and environmental responsibility are to conduct annual environmental impact audits on surrounding communities, transition to cleaner recycling technologies and participate in pilot projects for slag reuse for bricks and cement raw materials.

NESREA in collaboration with Ogun State government and other partners under the Project for Responsible Battery and Metal Recycling (PROBAMET) had carried out extensive assessment and sensitization of the operators in the sector on international best practices in the recycling sector,” the statement said.