The chairman of the Cross River State Anti-Illegal Mining Taskforce, Prince Paul Effiong, has vowed to sustain the clampdown on illegal mining activities in the state despite the Inspector General of Police (IGP) ‘s invitation, detention, and interrogation.
The taskforce chairman made the vow yesterday in Calabar while giving insight on his recent invitation, detention, interrogation and subsequent release by IGP Kayode Egbetokun.
He vowed not to be intimidated by those who planned to use their Abuja connections to intimidate him, promising to do everything within his reach to ensure that those engaged in illegal mining activity in the state are stopped.
He said that his summons to Abuja by the IGP is linked with his clampdown on illegal mining activity against one of the ex-lawmakers representing Akamkpa/Biase federal constituency.
“My ordeal stems from a clampdown on illegal mining activities by my team and me against a former national Assembly lawmaker representing Akamkpa/Biase federal constituency.
The task force headed by Prince Paul Effiong had previously seized an excavator from an illegal mining site purportedly owned by the former lawmaker.
Angry with the development, the ex-lawmaker quickly used his Abuja connections against the task force chairman.
The Anti-Illegal Mining Taskforce chairman enumerated the allegations levelled against him by the ex-lawmaker, including extortion of N10m , stressing that the allegation was false.
