Nosa Akenzua, Asaba BARELY three days after the inauguration of a special armed squad known as ‘Solid Mineral Defenders Unit’ by the Delta State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, operatives of the unit have arrested 26 suspected illegal miners in Abraka and Sapele communities in the state. The NSCDC Commandant, Mrs.
Nosa Akenzua, Asaba
BARELY three days after the inauguration of a special armed squad known as ‘Solid Mineral Defenders Unit’ by the Delta State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, operatives of the unit have arrested 26 suspected illegal miners in Abraka and Sapele communities in the state.
The NSCDC Commandant, Mrs. Beatrice Irabor, who confirmed the arrest of the suspects to journalists in Asaba, said the suspects were being interrogated and would be charged to court on the completion of investigation by the NSCDC.
Irabor said the suspects were arrested by NSCDC operatives last Thursday, stressing that the command under her watch would not give up on its mandate to check activities of illegal miners in the state.
She said, “No illegal mining will be tolerated in Delta State henceforth. Our men have been placed on red alert, and I assure Deltans that the NSCDC will bring to book those involved in the illegal mining.
“The suspected illegal miners were arrested at different locations in Abraka, Sapele, while the suspected vandals were arrested in Kwale and Oleh communities; we are interrogating them and as soon as we are through with the interrogation, we will charge them to court.”
Our correspondent learnt that illegal mining activities had been on the increase in Delta State in recent times.
It was learnt that Ughelli, Abraka, Ozorro, Sapele, Warri and Mossoga were some of the communities that had allegedly turned into a beehive of illegal mining business.
Irabor explained that the special squad unit of the NSCDC was saddled with the responsibility of arresting and prosecuting offenders and warned those involved in illegal mining in the state to stay away as operatives of the NSCDC would ensure their arrest and bring them to book.
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