By SUNDAY JOHN

The Police Command in Nasarawa State says it has arrested no fewer than 109 persons for alleged illegal mining in Nassarawa-Eggon Local Government Area of the state.

Shehu Nadada, Commissioner of Police (CP) in the state, made this known while parading the suspects on Tuesday in Lafia.

The CP said that the suspects were arrested following a raid by the Anti-kidnapping unit of the command in collaboration with the Vigilante Group of Nigeria in Nassarawa-Eggon LGA.

According to Nadada, the operation commenced from Mada Station to Wakama Community and Alogani mountain stretch, which kidnappers use as a hideout to keep their victims until ransom is paid.

“On Monday, Feb.19, 2024 at about 6:00 a.m., the team from the command had engaged in massive raid of some criminal hideouts at Alogani hills in Nassarawa-Eggon LGA.

“They raided from Mada Station to Wakama area with a view to arresting suspected kidnappers.

“Unfortunately, some of them ran away but we were able to arrest 109 miners conducting illegal activities and we took them into custody and we have commenced investigation to ascertain criminal elements among them,” he added.

The CP also said that the police Command would continue to partner the state government with a view to ensuring that the illegal miners were profiled and made to follow due process.

Nadada said that the suspects were arrested at different locations on the mountains carrying out illegal mining of Topaz, Tin, and Aquamarine.

He said that a dane gun, cutlasses, knives, illegally mined solid minerals among other items, were recovered from the suspects as exhibit.

Also, Mr Yakubu Kwanta, Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources commended the police for the operation to ensure sanity in the mining sector.

The commissioner, on behalf of the state government, offered to take them on bail and ensure that they organise themselves into cooperative societies and register with the appropriate authorities before operating in the state.

“We commend the police for this diligent operation, and we will continue to collaborate with them to tackle criminal elements in the state.

“On this note, I strongly put to the illegal miners as an order that this is the last chance to repent from their illegal operation and register for the purposes of documentation and identification before returning to mining sites.

“This gesture from the current administration to allow for private business development and economic empowerment and poverty reduction, should not be a licence for illegality,” Kwanta said. (NAN)

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