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Nigeria is Not a Dumping Ground – HOMEF Slams Nigerian Government and the EU

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Nigeria is Not a Dumping Ground – HOMEF Slams Nigerian Government and the EU

By: Michael Mike

Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) has insisted that Nigeria is Not a Dumping Ground, stating that the news of the Nigerian government’s ill-conceived, vexatious and painful attempt to import “non-hazardous” waste from the EU into the country is a rude shock at a time of widespread ecological challenges.

Health of Mother Earth Foundation also noted that even wastes certified as non-hazardous are often hazardous – containing traces of heavy metals and other dangerous elements. “We denounce the ploy, under any guise, to import any form of waste to Nigeria.”

HOMEF, in the statement signed by its HOMEF Media/Communication Lead, Kome Odhomor said: “It is clear that rich countries commodify waste and make it appeal to the appetites of poorer countries that are seeking foreign exchange by all means. Thus, the EU could report that €18.5 billion worth of EU waste was exported in 2023. What the impacts of those wastes have been and will continue to be in the countries where they were exported is a question that the trade merchants will never answer.

“The EU seem to align with the assertion of Lawrence Summers, World Bank Chief Economist in 1991, who wrote that Africa is hugely under polluted and that it makes economic sense to dump wastes here. In his memo, he said, “Just between you and me, shouldn’t the World Bank encourage more migration of the dirty industries to the LDCs [Least Developed Countries]? A given amount of health-impairing pollution should be done in the country with the lowest cost and the country with the lowest wages. I think the economic logic behind dumping a load of toxic waste in the lowest wage country is impeccable, and we should face up to that.” In a world that is in the grip of extreme geopolitical distortions, the shameful truth is that the high consumption nations are happy to offload their wastes on zones regarded as suitable for nothing except to be sacrificed as refuse dumps.”

The statement added that: “We do not forget the willful dumping of toxic waste in Koko, Delta State, Nigeria, in 1988. These wastes were labelled “non-hazardous” and branded as “fertilisers”. While the labelling was to portray no harm, the actual content was indeed harmful, with significant impacts and contamination on air, water and land.

“We also remember the Trafigura case of waste dumping in Côte d’Ivoire (after several unsuccessful efforts to dump wastes in several other countries) for an induced fee of about $17,000 with the help of local collaborators in the name of waste management companies. The hazardous nature of the wastes was concealed and became known only after other countries refused.

“We see the “Request for Inclusion in the List of Countries to Which the Export from the European Union of Non-Hazardous Wastes and Mixtures of Non-Hazardous Wastes Destined for Recovery is Authorised” as a ploy to woo countries like Nigeria into obnoxious systemic legal waste colonialism.”

It however warned that: “Nigeria and other African countries have become dumpsites for thousands of obsolete and unusable computers and other e-waste. Major sources of these e-waste include China, the United States, Spain, the United Kingdom, the UAE, and Morocco.

“Nigeria is already plagued with environmental pollution arising from oil and gas exploitation, pollution arising from the exploitation of solid minerals, plastic pollution, and genetic pollution in foods. For a country already almost overwhelmed by these issues, seeking approval to import waste of any kind is not only ill-advised but also ecocidal and dangerous.”

Executive Director of HOMEF, Nnimmo Bassey, was quoted to have said: “This move exposes the government’s willingness to discount the wellbeing of citizens for a mess of porridge.”

“It is inconceivable that a nation with life expectancy of about 56 years and a broken healthcare delivery system would succumb to the level of begging to import someone else’s waste, when we can hardly handle our domestic wastes,” he lamented.

HOMEF, as well as other well-meaning Nigerians, rejects the Nigerian government’s plot to allow other countries and regions to use Nigeria or any other African nation as dumpsites for waste products from their conspicuous consumption.

Nigeria is Not a Dumping Ground – HOMEF Slams Nigerian Government and the EU

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BREAKING NEWS: 3 killed And 3,000 displaced as Devastating Fire Sweeps Through Kalari Settlement in Konduga, Borno State

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BREAKING NEWS: 3 killed And 3,000 displaced as Devastating Fire Sweeps Through Kalari Settlement in Konduga, Borno State

By: Zagazola Makama

A catastrophic fire has torn through the Kalari settlement in Konduga Local Government Area (LGA) of Borno State, claiming three lives and displacing over 3,000 people. The blaze, which erupted at approximately 1:00 PM, engulfed three villages, reducing more than 1,500 thatched houses to ashes.

Zagazola Makama gathered that In response to the disaster, the military, along with the Combined Joint Task Force (CJTF), mobilized swiftly to provide emergency assistance. Personnel from the 222 Battalion rendered first aid to the wounded and transported the injured to Maiduguri Specialist Hospital via Army ambulances.

The timely intervention of key local officials, including the Chairman of Konduga LGA, a Member of the House of Assembly, and the Commissioner for Environment, ensured immediate relief efforts for the affected families.

This incident comes on the heels of severe flooding that devastated Konduga LGA in September 2024, following the collapse of the Alau Dam. The flash floods from the dam’s collapse also affected Maiduguri and Jere LGAs, displacing an estimated 240,000 people. Many residents are still recovering from that catastrophe, and the latest fire disaster has further intensified the region’s humanitarian crisis.

An Official of SEMA, said the Borno State Government has made an urgent appeal for humanitarian aid to support the thousands affected by both the recent fire and previous flood disasters. Efforts are underway to provide shelter, food, and medical care to those impacted by these successive calamities.

BREAKING NEWS: 3 killed And 3,000 displaced as Devastating Fire Sweeps Through Kalari Settlement in Konduga, Borno State

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Six Die in Taraba Boat Mishap, Nine Rescued

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Six Die in Taraba Boat Mishap, Nine Rescued

By: Zagazola Makama

A boat accident on the Jole River in Lau Local Government Area of Taraba State has claimed six lives, while nine other passengers were rescued alive, the Taraba State Police Command has confirmed.

Intelligence sources told Zagazola Makama that the incident occurred on Saturday, April 5, 2025.

According to police sources, the boat was conveying 15 people when it capsized midstream. Rescue efforts led to the recovery of nine survivors, while the bodies of six passengers were later pulled from the river.

The deceased have been identified as Dadi Mallam Dotti (30), Mubarak Abdu (21), Bappa Mallam Dotti (20), Adamu Yayagardi (30), and one Madugu (22), all from Badabdi, Funakaye LGA of Gombe State, of the Terawa ethnic group. The sixth victim was Umar Gambo (34), of Zaura Ward, Damban LGA, Bauchi State, of the Karakare ethnic group.

The boat driver is currently at large, and efforts are ongoing to locate him.

The police sources said that search and recovery operations were conducted in collaboration with local divers and community volunteers.

Six Die in Taraba Boat Mishap, Nine Rescued

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Teenager Dies After Ritual Experiment by Native Doctor in Edo

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Teenager Dies After Ritual Experiment by Native Doctor in Edo

By: Zagazola Makama

The Edo State Police Command has arrested two men in connection with the death of a 14-year-old boy, Okonkwo Obina Emmanuel, following a failed ritual performance in Iyamon Village, Illushi, Ubiaja.

Police sources told Zagazola Makama that the incident was reported on April 2, 2025, by the deceased’s elder brother, Okonkwo Onyenbushi. According to the report, a self-acclaimed native doctor, Amechi Edozunor, in collaboration with one Kelvin Ugru, allegedly performed a charm ritual on the victim to make him “invulnerable to bottles.”

During the ritual, the suspects reportedly struck the boy’s head with a bottle in an attempt to prove the charm’s effectiveness, leading to a fatal head injury.

The victim was rushed to Wisdom Hospital and later referred to Ogbeide Hospital, where he died on April 5, 2025.

The sources said his remains have been deposited at the hospital mortuary for autopsy, while both suspects are currently in police custody pending further investigation.

Teenager Dies After Ritual Experiment by Native Doctor in Edo

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