Officials of the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) have shut down a Company, managed by Istanbul, in Abuja following a blasting operation that sent flying rocks into Graceland High School, injuring staff and students and damaging school property.
According to NESREA’s findings, the incident occurred at about 12:30 p.m. while students were sitting for examinations. A loud blast was followed by a surge of rocks that struck the school buildings, leaving 11 students and two staff members with varying degrees of injuries.
A report by NTA Network Network said several nearby shops were also affected by the flying debris.
Speaking on the development, the Director General of NESREA, Prof. Innocent Barikor, said the agency ordered the closure of the facility because its operations violated provisions of the National Environmental (Quarrying and Blasting Operations) Regulations, 2013.
He added that preliminary investigations revealed clear breaches of quarry operating procedures and regulatory standards. Barikor noted that appropriate sanctions would be imposed on the company in line with the 2013 regulations once investigations are concluded.
