The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) has shut down Dai Jin Jia Quarry in ACO Village along Airport Road, Abuja, following the death of a 10-year-old boy during a blasting operation.
The incident, which occurred on February 27, 2026, triggered immediate enforcement action after the agency received reports linking the fatality to activities at the quarry site.
Addressing journalists, the Director of Environmental Quality Control, Mr. Elijah Udofia, speaking on behalf of the Director-General, Prof. Innocent Barikor, described the development as deeply disturbing. He disclosed that the facility had previously been sealed last year for regulatory infractions but allegedly resumed operations in defiance of enforcement directives.
According to Udofia, a preliminary investigation conducted in collaboration with officers from the ACO Division of the Nigeria Police Force revealed significant breaches of safety and environmental standards. The quarry, he said, failed to produce a documented Blasting Operation Plan and could not provide records of its Charge Load Density (CLD), which specifies the quantity of explosives deployed during blasting activities.
He noted that these lapses contravene Regulation 23 of the National Environmental (Quarrying and Blasting Operations) Regulations, 2013.
The inspection team also found that the facility’s warning alarm system—mandated to alert nearby residents ahead of blasting—was faulty at the time of the visit. Udofia stressed that the absence of a functional early warning mechanism may have contributed to the tragic incident.
“It is distressing that despite prior warnings and enforcement actions, the company continued operations in ways that endanger lives and contravene national environmental laws,” he stated.
The quarry has been sealed pending the conclusion of a comprehensive investigation. NESREA assured that all culpable parties would be held accountable in accordance with extant laws.
The agency reaffirmed its commitment to protecting host communities and enforcing strict compliance with environmental standards nationwide. It also urged operators in the quarrying sector and other industries to adhere fully to statutory regulations, warning that negligence and non-compliance will attract firm sanctions.
