Dare Babalola
The Ogun State Government has shut down the Avalon Industrial Estate located in Moloko-Asipa along the Abeokuta-Sagamu Expressway over alleged indiscriminate dumping of industrial and hazardous waste.
The closure was announced by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Waste Management and Managing Director of the Ogun State Waste Management Authority, Farook Akintunde, who said the estate violated several provisions of the Ogun State Waste Management Authority Law 2020.
According to Akintunde, companies operating within the estate, including Cherry Motors, May Mall, Hongfu Building Materials Industry, Oolala Global Trading Company, Buyang Industry Limited, Leku Industry and Abec Kuka Foams, were found culpable of dumping waste, including hazardous materials, within their immediate environment and host communities.
He stated that the companies were also accused of engaging unauthorised waste collectors in violation of Section 17 of the law and disposing refuse at illegal dumpsites contrary to Section 34(1) of the Ogun State Waste Management Law 2020.
Akintunde further alleged that the estate had prevented government-licensed waste collectors from carrying out their duties since 2023, describing the action as a breach of the state’s environmental regulations.
He said the government had previously given the management of the estate an opportunity to respond to the allegations and scheduled a facility inspection to address the issues, but officials were allegedly denied access to the premises.
“Despite all these infractions, we gave the estate the opportunity to defend themselves against the allegations and even scheduled a facility tour to resolve the issues, but they refused and stopped government officials from carrying out the inspection,” he said.
Akintunde added that the state government would not tolerate violations of environmental laws or any attempt to obstruct officials from performing their lawful duties.
He noted that the industrial estate would remain shut until all identified infractions were corrected and the management formally committed to complying with waste management laws in the state.
