Suspected Illegal Miners Arrested In Agoi-Ibami, Yakurr Local Government

Cross River State Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corp, Charles Brown in Calabar 5 February paraded 28 suspected illegal Miners arrested in Agoi-Ibami, Yakurr Local Government Area, Cross River State mining gold.

The Commandant at the Command Headquarters in Calabar during interview with press men revealed that the 28 suspected illegal gold miners were caught on Monday 3rd February, 2025 following a tipoff information with his gallant officers swinging into action to curtail ugly menace. 

According to him 

“we got an Intel that there are some persons that have been mining mineral resources in that community and with that intel, we collaborated with the federal mines and we carried out a successful covered operation.

Some of my men were able to round them up and were able to arrest them after attempting resistance.

“Exhibits found in the mining site includes, 54 headpans, 8 pumping machine, 52 shovels, 17 diggers, 1 pumping hose, 1 single barrel gun and 13 mobile telephones.” 

The NSCDC state Commander charged Cross Riverians to desist from peanuts served by these illegal Miners, emphasizing compliance to Due process as enshrined in the Nigeria constitution of 1999 as amended.

While corroborating the security report from NSCDC, Federal Mines Officer In-charge Of Federal Ministry Of Solid Minerals, Cross River State, Engr.  Ayelabola Bunmi, emphasized that despite renewed sensitization on the illegal mining in the state and country at large, locals still collaborate with illegal miners to reap locales, highlighting the danger of condoning such acts capable of causing insecurity in the foreseeable future.

“Despite the fact that we have embarked on sensitization, I can assure you that the indigene are behind all these atrocities. There is no way you enter someone’s stronghold without an insider.

“The indigenes are providing security for these people, they’re mining the gold within the forest, it got to a stage that the vehicle could not even move. The Officer had to abandon the vehicle and ride on bikes to that place for hours.

“They’ve established a gate, they closed the place, we have to break the place and penetrate. While they are coming out you see them with dangerous equipments in an attempt to attack the federal government officials. It’s not going to be business as usual, we need more effort from federal, state and the local governments to combat the menace. After these illegal mining activities, many of them will venture into crime and anywhere there is this activity of illegal mining, you’ll see the jail breakers, proliferation of small arms and admonition, kidnapping, armed robbery and even setting up of camps, further destabilizing the community.”

The Ministry staff added.

This mass arrest of illegal Miners in Cross River State brings to fore activities of these daredevil men highlighting loss of government revenue and security measures including community policing to curb the ugly practice.

As government across board makes frantic efforts to rewrite Nigeria’s story on mineral deposits with a view to orchestrate socioeconomic transformation, supports of all and sundry on information sharing for enhanced efficiency is required.