Operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC)in Kwara State have arrested 11 persons for alleged involvement in illegal mining activities.
The suspects are Kaka Azare, Muhammed Dan Azumi, Abdullahi Adamu, Abdullahi Muhammed, Suleiman Babayo , Muhammed Umar , Nasiru Abubakar and Adam Muhammed, Alhaji Muhammed, Nasir Bello and Ismail Garba.
The spokesman of NSCDC in the state, Ayeni Olasunkanmi who confirmed the development said the suspects were arrested at Share town in Ifelodun local government area of the state on October 17, 2022.
He said, “The suspects were arrested with three big trucks fully loaded with raw materials suspected to be lithium, illegally mined at Patigi. The suspects were intercepted by our men at Share in Ifelodun LGA, Kwara State, on their way to Ogun state.
“The command is working hard with other relevant agencies to curtail the activities of illegal miners within the state.
“Apart from the pact between the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel to help fight this menace, the Executive Governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has also ordered the NSCDC Kwara Command, to save the state from the illegal mining activities.”
Olasunkanmi said the state commandant of NSCDC, Muhammed Ibrahim has sent a note of warning to all illegal miners to either follow the due process if they want to do the business or leave the state in their own interest, because the command would not hesitate to bring any one that engages in illegal mining to book.
