This was announced in a press statement on Saturday issued by Acting Assistant Director Army Public Relations, Captain Irabor Njoka.
Troops of the Nigerian Army attached to the 32 Artillery Brigade have arrested 26 suspected illegal miners operating in Ondo State.
This was announced in a press statement on Saturday issued by Acting Assistant Director Army Public Relations, Captain Irabor Njoka.
The suspects were arrested at various illegal mining sites at Gate, Modebiayo, Kokuma, Obado, Okesa, Amasiko, Adoba, Abanasiru and Obadonu communities, in Ondo West Local Government Area.
The army also recovered some items from the suspects which include seven mobile phones, 21 head pans, four cutlasses, 12 shovels, 12 painter buckets, foot rest/carpets and a sack containing clothes.
Captain Njoka said the clampdown on illegal miners was a clear indication that troops of 32 Artillery Brigade were committed to protecting the country’s critical infrastructures and getting the Brigade’s Area of Responsibility (AOR) rid of all forms of criminal activities and economic sabotage.
He said the suspects had been handed over to the Ondo Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
On Monday, SaharaReporters also reported that at least seven suspected illegal miners were arrested at Jaguna, off Iye/Odogbe communities in the Yagba East Local Government Area in neighbouring Kogi State.
The suspects were arrested by the mining Marshals during a clearance exercise last week.
This was contained in a statement by Segun Tomori, the Special Assistant on Media to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development in Abuja on Saturday, noting that the arrest followed the refusal of the suspects to vacate the mining site after being warned by the Marshals.
He stressed that the rightful mining license holders had been unable to access the location due to the activities of armed illegal miners for over 16 years.