Laide Raheem, Abeokuta
Following the recent protest of the residents of Ilate-Etido Community in the Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State, over the notorious activities of illegal miners in the area, no fewer than seven suspects, including a Chinese national have been arrested for alleged illegal mining and dredging.
The protesters had lamented the negative and destructive impacts of the illegal dredging of sand in the area, which according to them, had affected their farmlands, environment and their sources of living.
But on Tuesday, the combined team of soldiers from the 35 Artillery Brigade, Alamala, Abeokuta and police operatives from the Zone 2 Command of the Nigeria Police Force, Onikan, Lagos, arrested the suspected illegal miners at a dredging site.
Findings by the Daily Sun revealed that some policemen and soldiers providing cover for the illegal miners headed by the Chinese national, were also removed from the site by the security team.
The arrested civilians were later whisked to Onikan, Lagos for interrogation.
Our correspondent further gathered that the company dredging laterite and sand in the community had its mining licence revoked since August 12, 2022 by the Nigeria Mining Cadastral Office, Abuja.
A source in the community who preferred anonymity informed Daily Sun that despite its revocation of the mining license which was published in the official gazette of NMCO, Abuja, the company owned by a businessman from Osun State, had continued to carry on illegal mining activities, using police men and soldiers as security covers.
Speaking with our correspondent on Thursday, Deji Enisenyin, the solicitor of the Ilate-Etido Community, disclosed that a series of petitions had been written to the relevant authorities and security agencies, to call their attention to the activities of the illegal miners.
According to him, a petition dated May 3, 2024 was written on the matter to the office of the Federal Mines Officer, Federal Secretariat, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, as well as the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA).
He added that another petition was written to the State Commandant, Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) Ogun State Command, on April 22, 2024, to call the attention of the Command to the illegal activities of the miners.
Enisenyin, however, said that the NSCDC operatives earlier deployed to the community to effect arrest were repelled by the miners, with the help of the soldiers and policemen engaged by the mining company.
He explained further that a letter of Appeal for Intervention in the matter was written to the Brigade Commander of 35 Artillery Brigade, Alamala on May 10, 2024, led to the eventual arrest of the illegal miners and removal of the soldiers shielding them.
Enisenyin stated that the soldiers were later discovered to be on “illegal duty”, while the policemen were illegally drawn from state commands such as Cross River and Plateau by the mining company.
While disclosing that the Chinese national and other civilians arrested were later granted bail since the offence is a bailable one, the lawyer declared that the community led by the Baale, Akintunde Samsideen Ajibawo, will drag the matter before the court of law to ensure that justice is not only done but served.
He noted that engaging in illegal mining or dredging, apart from posing serious environmental hazards to the host communities, is a serious crime which is frowned upon by the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Reacting to the development while speaking on the phone with our correspondent, on Friday, the Community Head of Ilate-Etido Community, Ajibawo said the community will now experience relief with the arrest of the illegal miners, who according to him have engaged in unauthorized activities.
“I have personally written a series of letters to the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals, Cadastral Mining office, Office of the General of Police, Chief of Naval Staff and Ministry of Mines, Ogun State over the activities of the illegal miners.
“I also discovered when I went to Abuja that the company’s operating licence had been revoked, but the promoter of the company refused to leave the community, boasting that he had acquired all the land in Ilate-Etido and that the indigenes should vacate the land for him. But, with the arrest and facing possible prosecution, our community can now breathe and the people will be free from intimidation by the mining company operating there illegally”, the Community Head stated.