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The Plateau Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has arrested 15 suspected illegal miners including minors.
ASC Ruth Rimvyok, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the command disclosed this to newsmen on Wednesday in Jos.
She explained that the suspects were arrested in Bukuru, Jos South Local Government Area (LGA) of the state
”NSCDC has the mandate to protect critical national assets and as part of the Executive Order 001 issued by the Plateau Government, we have noticed a rise in illegal mining being done around critical national assets.
”More disheartening is the fact that minors are being used to carry out these illegal mining activities in the state.
”We have arrested 15 suspects with 13 of them who are minors.
”We want to warn those using these minors for this illegal act to desist henceforth or face the full wrath of the law,”she warned
Rimvyok called on parents to discourage their wards from engaging in the illegal activity, insisting that anyone caught would not be spared.
Speaking, Mr Ahmed Mohammed, the Federal Mines Officer in charge of the North-Central Zone, said that the arrest was in collaboration with his office.
Mohammed, who decried the spate of illegal mining in homes, said that mining operations were regulated by the Federal Government.
”We now have an unfortunate trend in Jos; people are mining inside their buildings, in some cases, even in their bedrooms.
”People should know that mining is a regulated business under the Nigeria’s Minerals and Mining Act 2007.
”Nobody has the right to conduct mining anywhere without a licence; so people should obtain the right licenses to mine in areas that are allowed.
”We will not condone illegal mining in any part of the state and so we urge communities to embrace the opening provided by the government and do mining in a legal way,”he warned.
The officer said that owners of the properties who allowed illegal mining operations on their facilities would be arrested.