Authorities from the Delta State Ministry of Environment conducted a raid on unregistered dump sites used by PET bottle operators in Asaba, the state capital, on Wednesday.
The operation led to the arrest of 12 individuals, including both operators and scavengers, across at least 10 locations.
The raid was carried out by officials from the Ministry of Environment in collaboration with the Asaba Capital Territory Development Agency (ACTDA) and a consultant hired by the state government.
The targeted sites included the former Textile Mile premises, Ibusa Road, Okpanam Road, behind the A Division of the Nigeria Police Force, behind the MTN office, and along the Expressway, between Summit Road and the Asaba Airport.
In an interview with journalists after the court session, Sylvester Ofuyekpone Assistant Director, Department of Sanitation and Waste Management in the Delta State Ministry of Environment, explained that the raid and subsequent arrests were triggered by the failure of the PET bottle operators and their scavengers to comply with the state government’s directive to register with the ministry for proper regulation.
He emphasized that the state government had imposed a ban on scavenging without registration, and for anyone to run a PET bottle collection business, they must have a Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) registration as well as register with the Ministry of Environment.
To ensure smooth operations, the state had engaged consultants for Delta North, Delta Central, and Delta South. However, despite sensitization efforts, many operators resisted the registration process.
As a result, the ministry had no choice but to initiate the crackdown to force compliance. The 12 arrested operators were chauffeured to a waiting court in the capital city.
The court issued fines to the arrested operators for failing to register their businesses, though Ofuyekpone clarified that paying the fines did not exempt them from completing the registration process with the ministry.
He further noted that each operator was expected to pay an annual registration fee. Smaller operators could form clusters and pay the fee collectively, provided they have a CAC certificate, which would serve as a prerequisite for registration.
John Itinegbedia, a representative of the consulting firm, G-Part E-C Consult Nig. Ltd., added that the raid was a consequence of non-compliance with government directives.
He stressed that the state government, particularly the Secretary to the State Government and the Commissioner for Environment, were dissatisfied with the operators’ refusal to register.
“We’ve issued notices to the PET bottle operators, but they refused to come forward to register and be profiled. So, we had to go on this operation to ensure they comply. Whether they like it or not, they must adhere to the regulations to safeguard the environment, lives, and property,” he said.
However, one of those arrested, Jude Madaiki Babayi, expressed concerns in a separate interview. He confirmed that the operators were aware of the registration notice but were still in the process of complying when the officials swooped in and took them to court.
Babayi explained that they had not refused to register, but the challenge lay in raising the N1 million required for registration with the Delta State government.
“We did not refuse to register. The issue is raising the money; it’s not easy for us. We had registered before, but the registration was canceled by the Secretary to the State Government, and we were not refunded the money we paid,” Babayi said.
“We are also concerned about the credibility of the new registration process. The account number given to us is not an official government account, and we need to investigate further before making another payment.”
He further revealed that, in the previous registration process that was later canceled, operators had paid for jackets, uniforms, and other items, totaling more than N200,000.
Babayi said the operators wanted to ensure the validity of the new registration system before committing to any further payments. “It’s not that we don’t want to register. We are ready, but we need to confirm that the process is legitimate before we pay again,” he concluded.
