By| Goodluck E. Adubazi, Abuja
The Kogi State Government has intensified its crackdown on illegal mining activities, arresting two suspected illegal gold miners at Irutuba Village in Okene Local Government Area of the state.
The Commissioner for Solid Minerals and Natural Resources, Engr. Abubakar Bashir Gegu, disclosed this in a statement on Monday, following an enforcement operation he led to the community to curb unlawful mining activities.
Gegu said the operation was carried out in line with the directive of Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo to sanitise the solid minerals sector and ensure that the state’s mineral resources are protected from illegal exploitation.
According to the commissioner, the two suspects, identified as Abdulrahaman Nuhuramat and Yusuf Ramat, were arrested for allegedly engaging in illegal mining on community land.
He said the suspects had been handed over to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) for further investigation and prosecution.
Describing illegal mining as economic sabotage, Gegu said the practice deprives the state of legitimate revenue, degrades the environment and threatens peaceful coexistence in host communities.
“Under Governor Ododo’s administration, there is zero tolerance for illegality. We will find you wherever you are hiding,” the commissioner declared.
He commended the Village Head of Irutuba, Mallam Adams Shuaibu, and members of the community for their cooperation and for providing credible intelligence that supported the enforcement operation.
The commissioner also acknowledged the community’s concerns over the alleged trespass on ancestral lands and activities of land grabbers.
Gegu assured the community that its complaints would be conveyed to Governor Ododo, adding that the state government would work with relevant security agencies to protect the people’s ancestral lands.
He urged traditional rulers and community leaders across the state to sustain their collaboration with the government by reporting suspicious mining activities and other forms of illegality.
The commissioner stressed that the government remained committed to ensuring that Kogi State’s mineral resources benefit its people rather than being exploited unlawfully.
“We will not stop until Kogi’s mineral resources work for Kogi people,” he said.
