Addressing journalists in Abuja at the weekend, the Minister of Environment, Mrs. Hadiza Mailafa, stated that operatives of the State Security Service (SSS) had been put on the alert to arrest the importers.
She also said that the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the shipping agents had been directed to mandate the owners of the vessel to pay a fine of $1million to the Federal Government.
The provisions of the Nigerian law in particular and the Harmful Waste (Special Criminal Provisions, etc.) Act, Cap H1 LFN 2004, prohibit the carrying, depositing and dumping of harmful waste on any land or territorial waters or contiguous zone or exclusive economic zone of Nigeria or its inland waterways.
On how the vessel was intercepted, she said: “The National Environmental Standards Regulations and Enforcement Agency (NESREA) received an alert on suspected illegal shipment of e-waste in two containers on vessel Mv Marivia, on the 21st December, 2012. The vessel originated from Tilbury, United Kingdom and was estimated to arrive Tin Can Island Port on the 5th of January, 2013.
“The National Toxic Waste Dump Watch (NTWDW) committee was immediately placed on red alert. The NTWDW committee comprises Nigeria Customs Service, Nigerian Port Authority, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, State Security Service, National Intelligence Agency, Defence Intelligence Agency, Nigerian Police, Nigerian Navy, Port Heath Services with NESREA as chairman.”
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