By Rasheedah Makinde
Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, has apprehended ten suspected illegal miners at Ona Ara Local government area of Oyo state.
The ten suspected illegal miners were paraded at the NSCDC headquarters, Agodi, Ibadan by the Oyo state Commandant of the corps, Mr Augustine Padonu, (MRM).
Parading the suspects, the NSCDC commandant in Oyo state, Mr Padonu said the suspects were apprehended through a tip-off by gallant officers and some members of the public.
Mr Padonu explained that, the suspects specialized in illegal mining of solid mineral resources such as lithium, Beryllium, and Tourmaline.
He said despite the Government’s efforts at tackling illegal mining, the menace still persisted, hence the need for collaboration of all security agencies, as well as members of the public to wage war against the act.
He pointed out that, the suspects were found at a mining site at Elese Erin village, Ona Ara Local government area of Oyo state.
Mr Padonu, therefore, called on those that have turned illegal mining to a lucrative business to desist from the act or face the consequences.
One of the alleged illegal miners, Adeoti Kolawole who denied the allegations leveled against him claimed that he got his licence from the Oyo state Government.
He said he had been exploring at the site in Elese Erin village solid mineral suspected to be Tourmaline in Ona Ara local government area of Oyo state for some years .
Kolawole said he was shocked and surprised when he was arrested for operating illegally as all his papers were legitimate.
It would be recalled that, an explosion occurred at Bodija on January 16 this year when some illegal miners kept explosive devices where some lives were lost and millions of property were also destroyed.
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