No fewer than 96 illegal miners have been arrested by a joint patrol of security agencies at a mining site located in Tunga Goro area of Minna in Chachanga local government of Niger state.
The police public relations officer of the Niger state police command,DSP Mohammed Abubakar, disclosed this Wednesday, adding that the arrested miners consisted of 63 females and 33 males.
He said the activities of the suspect were contrary to the Niger state laws prohibiting illegal mining in the state.
“On September 24, 2019, at about 1400hrs, a team of Joint Patrol team comprising the Police, Army and Civil Defence headed by an assistant commissioner of police in charge of operations, ACP Ibrahim Adamu, stormed the illegal mining site at Tunga Goro area in Chanchanga LGA of Niger state and arrested 96 suspects, 63 females and 33 males, for illegal mining activities in the state,” he said.
He also said two single-barrel guns, nine diggers, charms, 12 head pans, 11 hoes, three motorcycles, one generator and 29 handsets were recovered from the suspects at the site.
Other exhibits recovered were one Toyota vehicle with registration number AQ 516 MNA, two bags of precious stone and gold particles, some gold measuring equipment, shovels and two live ammunition of LAR.
He appealed for the cooperation and support of residents in the fight against criminality, adding that the police command and other security agencies “are ready to ensure the maintenance of peace, law and order in the state.”
According to him, the suspects will soon been charged to court.
