Police arrest ‘109 illegal miners’ in Nasarawa, recover weapons

The Nasarawa police command says its operatives have arrested 109 illegal miners in Nassarawa-Eggon LGA of the state.

NAN reports that Shehu Nadada, commissioner of police (CP) in the state,  paraded the suspects in Lafia, the state capital, on Tuesday.

Nadada said that the suspects were arrested during a raid by the anti-kidnapping unit of the command in collaboration with the Vigilante Group of Nigeria.

“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,” NAN quoted Nadada as saying.

“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.”

The police commissioner also said that the command would continue to partner with the state government to ensure that the illegal miners are profiled and follow due process.

Nadada said that the suspects were arrested at different locations in the mountains carrying out illegal mining of topaz, tin, and aquamarine.

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

Also, Yakubu Kwanta, the commissioner for environment and natural resources in Nasarawa, commended the police for the operation to ensure sanity in the mining sector.

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

“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.”