NSCDC arrests Chinese, five others for illegal mining

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Anambra State Command, in collaboration with the Federal Mines Office, has apprehended six suspects, including a Chinese, over alleged illegal mining activities in the state.

The command’s spokesperson, SC Edwin Okadigbo, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday, revealing that the arrests followed a tip-off about the suspects’ operations at an unlicensed mining site in Odele Aguleri, the Anambra East Local Government Area of the state.

The suspects, paraded at the command’s headquarters in Awka, were identified as Udoka Nwankwo (25), Amaka Samuel (18), Onyi Ijeoma (45), Chimezie Aniefuna (25), Chinaza Omrba (18), and the Chinese national simply identified as “Babajeje” (47).

Okadigbo said the arrests were part of efforts to sanitise the mining sector and curb revenue losses to the Federal Government.

“The suspects were apprehended for mining without valid licences, failing to pay surface rents and haulage fees to the state government, and evading royalties due to the Federal Government, in violation of Section 33 of the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act,” the statement read.

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