- Regulators Look Away
Three foreign-owned quarries are exposing Abuja rural communities to an ecological time bomb. Their mining activities pollute the environment and threaten the survival of their host communities, despite generating billions in revenue annually. In this report, ADEDOKUN THEOPHILUS narrates the story of the endangered communities threatened by profit-seeking mining companies.
IT IS CLOSE to midday on a Tuesday in May and the skies of Kubwa Community, a major suburb of Abuja City in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), are already filled with heavy dust and dirt billowing from the operation site of Zeberced Limited Company.
Angry but helpless residents of the community go about their businesses as they inhale the polluted air issuing from the quarry site and smoke from heavy trucks.
Among the residents is Blessing Lawrence, a petty trader who narrated how she relocated to neighbouring Niger State during her pregnancy to prevent potential miscarriage. “It was difficult for me to stay here during pregnancy. Sometimes, I felt my baby was not kicking and I regularly became sick.”
Mining activities by major companies such as Zeberced Limited Company, Istanbul Concrete Limited and Venue Mining Company continue to threaten the environment in these FCT communities, putting many residents in clear danger, yet the regulatory agencies fail to act.
Blessing is one of the victims. When she returned from Niger State after birth, she relocated a few kilometres away from the quarry site with the expectation that her troubles would end or significantly reduce.
That did not happen.
The persistent buzzes and accompanying vibration of heavy machinery, trucks and continuous rock blasting activities make her little daughter restless and sleepless.
Some studies have linked pregnancy complications such as miscarriage, premature birth and low birth weight to air pollution. However, other non-mining related factors can increase the risk of these complications.
Like Kubwa, Bmuko Community is facing its own ordeals at the hands of Turkish and Chinese firms, Istanbul Concrete Limited and Venus Mining Company Limited respectively.
The two foreign companies have degraded Bmuko Community over the years.
Several visits and independent research by this reporter show that the communities occupied by the quarry companies once beamed with vegetations and boasted of fresh air. This is evidenced by satellite images gathered from Google Earth. The images revealed the transition of the environment for 20 years.
Surrounded by rocks and blessed with farmland, Bmuko is now home to mining companies whose operations put the lives of thousands at risk.
“I have developed high blood pressure because of the blasting by these companies,” Florence Jakada told this report, adding that she had once told the staff of Venus Mining when they visited to assess damages caused by the company but all she got was an apology.
Eric Ruth, another resident, also spoke about her running battle with blood pressure and frequent migraine. Yet, she remained in the community because she could not afford rent in other places.
“If I had enough money, I would have gone but since I’m struggling financially that is why I’m still here,” Ruth said, adding that “anytime either of the two quarries blast, I must feel a chronic headache.”
A study by the National Library of Medicine revealed that environmental factors such as cold temperature, high altitude, loud noises and ambient air pollutants upsurge arterial blood pressure (BP). The exposure to these conditions could trigger blood pressure to a hypertensive or cardiovascular risk, the study stated.
Professor Tanimola Akande, erstwhile National Chairman of the Association of Public Health Physicians of Nigeria, told this reporter that residents living in houses close to quarry mining sites are prone to respiratory problems which can affect foetuses.
He said the noise and vibration from quarry activities can lead to stress and increased blood pressure among pregnant women. This may also result in abnormalities in the growth of the foetus.
“Quarry sites can cause stress, sleep disturbance, and anxiety, which can lead to hypertension. In addition, exposure to dust from the quarry site can cause long-term (chronic) respiratory diseases, which may lead to cardiovascular diseases, including hypertension,” Prof. Akande said.
Although this reporter did not witness a blast by Zeberced Limited and Venus Mining during visits to Kubwa and Bwari, multiple accounts from residents confirmed the claims of the residents. The reporter also sighted cracked walls allegedly caused by the explosion of dynamite.
Quarrying is expected to potentially develop the local economy, provide jobs, and supply raw materials for construction. But researchers have noted that mining methods can cause massive destruction and devastation despite their economic benefits.
Ruth confirmed this statement in an interview with this reporter. According to her, blasting by Venus Limited Quarry is less noisy compared to the one caused by the Turkish company. This is due to Venus’ proximity to her residence unlike Istanbul which is behind her backyard.
“You see that Chinese company blast two or three times, it shakes every building. And you will wonder about what is happening… If you forget to cover your window, it will be filled with dust. And we have to cover our mouth to prevent the dust from entering our noses and mouths,” Ruth said, adding that each blast is followed by a foul odour that makes residents uncomfortable for hours.
David Funke, the head teacher of LEA Primary School, Bmuko, with whom this reporter first had contact, said neither Venus nor Istanbul used the blasting method in their mining exploration. “I have been here for some time and I haven’t heard of any blasting from the companies,” denying that the pollution affects the pupils.
But while the interview was going on, Istanbul Concrete Limited blew up some rocks unannounced, exposing Funke’s claim as false. “This was the first time, I would experience blast from the company and I am even surprised,” Funke noted. The blast was accompanied by an abrupt shaking of the ground. A column of dust drifted sluggishly across the afternoon sky as houses became hazy and buried in dirt.
Despite the myriad regulations set to mitigate environmental degradation by quarries and mining companies, research and findings showed non-compliance by mining companies as the norm.
Finding shows that none of the three companies followed the guidelines that prescribe a blasting site 3,000 metres away from residential areas. But Istanbul Concrete Limited’s blasting site is 184 metres from communal homes, while Zeberced Quarry Limited and Venus Mining Company’s sites are 369 and 556 metres away respectively. These measurements are obtained from a Geographic Information System (GIS).
Clearly, the blasting sites of the three quarries are below the benchmarked distance specified by the National Environmental (Quarrying and Blasting Operations) Regulation 2013.
Also, the companies often carry out blasting without pre-informing their host communities, thereby contravening section 23(6) of the National Environmental (Quarrying and Blasting Operations) Regulation 2013, which states that “adjoining community shall be initially informed at least 48 hours prior to any type of blasting operation through mass media and augmented with local sirens, letters, warning signs, and other means deemed appropriate to convey an impending operation.”
Another property owner in Bmuko and bricklayer, Japhet Katsa, said the regular dust inhaled from the quarries’ activities is affecting his health, “but they (quarries) don’t care; all they care about is money, but if someone dies, maybe by then the police and government will help us.”
Katsa expected the quarries to do better by adopting pollution preventive measures and giving out health-related kits to the residents. The Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act (NMMA) acknowledged the need for mining operations to introduce and prevent pollution of the environment.
The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) State of Global Air (2020) reported that air pollution is the fourth leading cause of death. Surpassed by high blood pressure, tobacco use and poor diet; the deaths caused by ambient particulate matter rose by 40% between 1990 to 2019.
Polluted air is linked to respiratory infections like ischemic heart disease, stroke, lung cancer, chronic and diabetes. Data provided by a global health think-tank, World Air Quality Index shows that Nigerians with sensitive ailments may be affected by its air quality.
Speaking on the prevalence of cardiovascular diseases in quarry host communities, a medical officer at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Dr Femi Ojajune, maintained the need for medical officers to be mobilised to the affected residential areas to ascertain the level of heart-related ailments that have been induced by the companies’ activities.
“Those radioactive substances discharged during the blasting process cause respiratory hazards, difficulty in breathing and heart failure,” Dr Ojajune said.
To complicate residents’ situation, Bmuko community does not have a Primary Health facility (PHC). The nearest public Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC) is situated in Dutse Makaranta, a neighbouring community 2.8 kilometres away. However, this PHC is overwhelmed with the influx of patients from a catchment area of seven communities: Makaranta, New Jerusalem, Baupma, Zhabu, Gbeki, Bukoki and Bmuko.
The total data of the adolescents registered under the centre is not known but an estimation of the number of immunised children across the seven communities is 50,403 infants with Baupma and Bmuko coming second and third on the list with a staggering figure of 22,830 infants.
Documents of the Hypertension Treatment Register of the PHC reviewed by this reporter show that between May 2022 and December 2023, over fifty cases of hypertension were recorded from Bmuko, Baupma and New Jerusalem. These communities are reported alongside Bmuko because of their proximity to Bmuko.
The analysed record shows that the population of cases treated includes younger residents and senior citizens. “We just do minor treatment here and pregnancy malaria. This is because we are a primary healthcare centre. If you need records on the cardiovascular diseases of patients, you can go to the General Hospital situated in Kubwa,” a medical officer, Ishaku Jibril, said.
Expressing his dissatisfaction with the traditional blasting method adopted by Zeberced Mining Company, Jonathan Tagow said the blasting destroys POP ceilings in homes, and that the quarry operates on all days of the year except public holidays.
“Some house owners were forced to sell their properties due to the incessant blasting and you cannot see any functioning poultry in this community again,” said a resident, Precious Izuoku, who added that the harmful impact of the mining companies is compelling several property owners to sell off their houses and land at ridiculous rates and deter poultry farmers from the community.
This reporter was told how last year, Bmuko residents were severely impacted when flying rocks from a nearby quarry caused extensive damage to over twelve houses. This event, much worse than previous incidents, forced many to sell their properties cheaply and relocate. Those who protested, like Japhet Katsa and Florence Jakada, were silenced without fair compensation, highlighting the community’s plight and inequity in compensation practices.
Jakada expressed frustration at the inadequate response from local authorities. Despite their cries and complaints, they were warned to stay silent and eventually only received token compensations of N5,000, which many found insufficient. Ruth highlighted the unfairness, noting that not everyone received compensation, and some, including herself, had to bear repair costs independently.
That same incident almost cost an expecting mother, *Jane Yakubu her life. Worn out due to the stress underwent during the short eviction notice, she had returned shortly to her apartment to sleep when the blast took place. Fragments from the rock flew through the blasting site, pierced through her roof, punctured her celling and luckily, landed a few centimetres away from where she lay. She left the community after the narrow escape.
“That was the position she used to lie down and she was pregnant then. The rock tore her bedsheet and the tiles. At the end of the day, we were given 5,000 to repair what was destroyed,” said Isaac Promise, Jane Yakubu’s landlord. Although several people interviewed claimed that the public primary school in the community served as a refuge, it did not guarantee their safety from flying rocks.
Studies show that a mismatch of the distribution of explosive energy, confinement of the explosive charge, and mechanical strength of the rock are the major causes of flying rocks. However, to mitigate this, a proper blast design, the know-how of local geology and blasting shelter play indispensable roles in the stoppage of flying rock in quarries.
As a result of this, a mining company is expected to fulfil some prerequisites and obligations before being granted a licence. A geological expert, Adebayo Taiwo, told this reporter that methods like drilling can be adopted rather than blasting. “Part of the programmes to be fulfilled is the Environmental Protection and Rehabilitation Plan (EPRP) which is aimed to protect the land,” he noted.
Stressing the fact that corruption has eaten deep into the fabric of Nigeria’s society, he stated that some of the companies that mine and quarry without licence and compliance to specific laws are known and supported by regulators. “It is not that this people are not known, they are known but who will charge them? Who will arrest them? There are people that have been settled and bribed. Some operations that have been carried out are not actually illegal but they are illegally backed up by officials. And there should be compliance to all environmental issues.”
Disparities in companies’ status
Zeberced Limited which prides itself as the largest quarry in sub-Saharan Africa is Turkish owned with Adil Kurt and Ercan Kurt as its directors.
Venus Mining Company Limited, although located in Bmuko-Dutse, its affairs are owned, managed and controlled by the Chinese. Its board of directors is composed of Guo Weiting, Ren Xiaoai, Chen Mingtong, and Ye Yuan Sheng.
Istanbul Concrete Limited, established in 2009, is Turkish-owned, located in Bmuko-Dutse, identified itself as a “cornerstone in the construction and infrastructure development industry of Abuja.” The quarry’s affair is headed by Turkish citizens with Yakub Gundogdu, Ahmet Yilmaz, Basak Ihsan as directors and Kurt Ercan with 80% ownership.
Kurt is a beneficial owner of Istanbul Concrete Limited due to his direct control of the corporate entity. He is also a shareholder and beneficial owner of Zeberced Limited, a subsidiary of Zeberced Group. The quarry company extracts millions of tonnes of rocks annually which degrades Kubwa, Extension 2.
Further investigation shows that Zeberced Limited Company is presently mining with an invalid mining title. Its title expired in August 2022. It is archived here. The mining licence is owned by Sonyfem.
Venus’ mining title is expected to expire by August 2025, exclusive right to exploit and develop Bmuko is owned by AbdulMaleeq Onimisi Hamzah. It is also, archived here.
A thorough check through the comprehensive list of “All Mining Titles” in Nigeria on the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development did not indicate the presence of Istanbul Concrete Limited on its website, meanwhile, it is expected that the names of legally registered mining companies – both active and expired to come up.
On the other hand, Zeberced Limited Company and Istanbul Concrete Limited currently explore with a valid mining title, according to a document sighted from the Mine Cadastral Office, the organisation in charge of granting and revoking mining titles.
These revelations show the disparities and non-unification of public documents.
Minimal Compensation, shrouded CSR
Physically-harmed and mentally-hunted, one would not expect these communities to lack the basic amenities and be denied dividends of the resources generated from them.
Unfortunately, the reverse is the case for Bmuko Community. The road that leads to the rural community is bumpy and dusty. The regular movement of trailers and granite carriers worsens their suffering by raising layers of dust every time of the day.
Decrying that the community benefits only from air pollution from the quarries, a Point of Sales (POS) operator and resident, Michael Taiwo, pointed out that the community severely suffers from the quarries and their road has been damaged due to the movement of heavy trucks. “This is the situation we find ourselves in. This road has been like this due to Venus quarry activities. It is even better now, if you had come during the dry season, you would have blamed yourself,” said Sylvester Uchenna, another POS operator.
Seidu Sulaimon, a resident, maintained that Zeberced Limited Company has given no return to the host community in terms of infrastructure or construction while Japhet said that the only Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) that can be traced to Istanbul Concrete Company is the block of classrooms built at the roadside leading to the village. This reporter confirmed with a visit.
To worsen the degradation, Bmuko is cut off from public water supply by the FCT Water Board. Godwin (second name withheld) lamented that a community with two giants quarries at its corridor is not supposed to be in dire need of drinkable water. He further connected the troubles of the community to the mutual agreement between a chief in the area, Dangbana Yahaya Ibrahim, and the quarry companies, noting that the presence of factional district heads complicated their situation. “Our ordeals are not being addressed and this boils down to the fact that the traditional rulers are settled by the companies.”
The activities of transferring social and economic benefits to the host communities entrenched in the NMMA are known as the Community Development Agreement (CDA). It stipulates mining/quarrying companies to address “financial or other forms of contributory support for infrastructural development and maintenance such as education, health or other community services, roads, water and power which are dearth in the communities.”
The list of approved CDAs published in 2021 revealed that Venus Mining Company’s was signed by the federal government on the 6th of December, 2016 while Zeberced was not approved. Istanbul was excluded from the list. The law stipulates a review of CDAs every four years.
A comprehensive search on the websites of relevant regulatory authorities as well as those of the companies’ revealed no information of any CSR carried out in the communities. Yet these companies are allowed to successfully continue their precarious activities.
* The asterisk name, Jane Yakubu, moved from Bmuko community and her landlord could not remember her full name.
Concluded Here.
This investigation, funded by National Record, is supported by the MacArthur Foundation through the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ).
