Nassarawa police raid kidnappers’ den, arrest 109 illegal miners 

The Nasarawa State Police Command has apprehended at least 109 individuals suspected of illegally mining within the Nasarawa Eggon Local Government Area.

In a bid to combat criminal activities in Nasarawa State, the Commissioner of Police, Umar Nadada, led the anti-kidnapping unit in collaboration with the Vigilante groups to raid a suspected kidnappers’ den in Nasarawa Eggon. The operation, spanning from Mada station to Wakama, targeted the Alogani mountains, a notorious hideout for kidnappers.

While kidnappers had abandoned their camps, 109 individuals suspected of illegal mining were apprehended at various locations on the mountain. The suspects were engaged in the unauthorised extraction of solid minerals like Topaz, Tin, and Aquamarine. Seized items included a Dane gun, daggers, knives, and illegally mined minerals.

Addressing the media in Lafia on Tuesday, Commissioner Nadada said:

“Yesterday, February 19, 2024, at about 6 am, the anti-kidnapping unit of the command in collaboration with vigilante groups from the Nasarawa Eggon LGA engaged in a massive raid of some criminal hideouts at Alogani hills in Nasarawa Eggon LGA.

“They raided from Mada station to the Wakama area to arrest suspected kidnappers. Unfortunately, some of them ran away but we were able to arrest some illegal miners, about 109 of them who are here. We immediately took them into custody and we have commenced an investigation.”

He emphasised the necessity of the raid and the ongoing commitment to eliminating criminal hideouts. He stated, “We are ready to partner with the state government to ensure that these illegal miners are profiled, and then further necessary actions will follow.”

Responding to the situation, the Nasarawa State Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Yakubu Kwanta, commended the police for their diligence in apprehending the suspected miners. Kwanta extended a pardon on behalf of the state government and urged the illegal miners to repent and register with the relevant authorities to ensure lawful operations.

About the apprehended men, Kwanta said: “On this note, I strongly put to them as an order and a last chance to repent from their illegal operation and form cooperative groups and get registered with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Investment as a first step followed by a further registration and profiling by the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources for documentation and identification of their operational status for peace and security; this they must do with the urgency it deserves before returning to their mining sites.

“This is a kind gesture in the posture of the current administration to allow for private business development and economic empowerment for poverty reduction, but this should not be a license for illegality.”

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