By SUMAILA OGBAJE

The Paramount Ruler of Agwada Community in Nasarawa State, His Royal Highness Abubakar Obagu, has called for the removal of the Commander of the Mining Marshal, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), ACC Attah Onoja, and his team from the community.

The traditional ruler made the call, while addressing his people, who came to protest in his palace on Monday, over activities of illegal miners in the community.

He said the call for their removal was imperative, alleging that the marshal and his team were not doing enough to stop the illegal mining activities and destruction of lives in the area.

Obagu claimed that the illegal mining activities in in Rafin Gabbas, an area in the community, had become a menace to his people as they could not go to farm around the mining areas again.

He claimed that the community had lost both youths and adults, who died in the mining sites, alleging that the mining officials were equally harassing villagers at the mining sites, whenever they passed the areas to go to their farms.

?Our people have suffered greatly since the illegal mining commenced in this community. We have lost loves ones and now, we cannot access our farms because we are being chased and arrested and by the mining marshals.

?We are calling for a change of the commander of the mining marshal and his team. Government can deploy mining marshal from Nasarawa State and not impose this team, which are currently here,? he said.

He stated that currently, there were about 50 mining marshals, guarding the illegal sites and yet, under aged people are used in the sites for illegal mining at night.

He recalled that he had written to the Director-General of Nigeria Mining Cadastre Office, stating that the community did not consent to some companies laying claims to have mining licenses in Rafin Gabbas.

The companies according to him, include Capital Apex Synergy Global Services Limited, Nizhong Mining Company Limited, Badger Mines Nigeria Limited and Badger Mines Baba Allen Nigeria Limited.

He said he had requested the director-general to deny approval of any mineral titles to these companies.

He, therefore, called on President Bola Tinubu and the Inspector General of Police to intervene in the situation and protect the community from further harm.

Danjuma Edekwudu, a parent, who lost two children to the illegal mining activities, in an interview with newsmen, called on the Federal Government to come to his aid.

He said that he was currently sick and bedridden after the death of his sons.

?I lost my sons, Hassan Danjuma and Odula Danjuma in the illegal mining sites. They were lured to the sites to mine at night and when the land collapsed, they didn?t survive.

?I am feeling hopeless and can only rely on government intervention to survive the sickness I am battling now.?

Also, Secretary of the Mining Community, Eshimutu Ode, stressed the need for the removal of the mining marshals from the community.

He said that hat under their watch, many villagers had died in the mining sites and nobody was saying anything to the families or the community about it.

When contacted, the Commander, Mining Marshal, ACC Onoja, said as the mining commander, his job was to secure all mining sites.

He said he and his team employed professional and international best practices to curtail illicit activities, which he said were deeply entrenched at the mining sites.

?This is a public and sensitive issues involving a lot of bad activities going on in the mining sites?I have ensured that the illegal miners are arrested and even prosecuted,? he said. (NAN)

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