*Officers from the Mining Inspectorate Department, Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, Abeokuta, Ogun State capital, seal off Ojibas Nigeria Limited, a sand dredging and mining company, operating in the Ilate-Etido Community, in Obafemi/Owode Local Government Area (LGA) of the state, over illegal mining activities

Isola Moses | 绿帽献妻

In a move to curb illicit mining, Officers from the Mining Inspectorate Department, Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, Oke Mosan, Abeokuta, Ogun State capital, Tuesday, July 9, 2024, sealed off a sand dredging and mining company, operating in the Ilate-Etido Community, in Obafemi/Owode Local Government Area (LGA) of Ogun State, over illegal mining activities.

It was learnt the Nigeria Mining Cadastral Office (NMCO), Abuja, had revoked the operating licence for dredging laterite and sand in the community, earlier issued to the company, Ojibas Nigeria Limited, and owned by a businessman from Osun State since August 12, 2022.

However, despite the revocation of the mining licence, and publication of same in the official gazette of NMCO, the company had continued to carry on illegal mining activities, using policemen and soldiers as security covers, Channels TV report said.

A combined team of soldiers from the 35 Artillery Brigade, Alamala, Abeokuta and Police operatives from Zone 2 Command of the Nigeria Police Force, Onikan, Lagos, May 28 this year stormed Ojibas Nigeria Limited, and arrested suspected illegal miners at a dredging site.

The report also noted the security team arrested some policemen and soldiers providing covers for the illegal miners headed by a Chinese national, and whisked them to Onikan for interrogations.

Destructive impacts of illegal dredging of sand on residents

Earlier, scores of residents of the host community had staged a protest against the company, lamenting the negative and destructive impacts of the illegal dredging of sand in the area, which they disclosed had affected their farmlands, environment and sources of living.

Speaking on the development Wednesday, Chief Shamsideen Ajibawo, Community Head of the Ilate-Etido community, in Ogun State, commended the Federal Government for slamming the 鈥榮top work order鈥� on the company, which was operating illegally in the community.

Chief Ajibawo stated that the community would begin to experience a huge relief with the sealing of the company by the regulatory body.

The mining company, apart from engaging in unauthorised activities, had caused serious environmental degradation to the Ilate-Etido community, alleged the community head.

He also said: 鈥淚 personally wrote a series of letters to the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals, Cadastral Mining Office, Office of the Inspector-General of Police, Chief of Naval Staff and Ministry of Mines, Ogun State, over the activities of these illegal miners.

鈥淚 also discovered when I went to Abuja that the company鈥檚 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.鈥�

Ajibawo further noted: 鈥淭he whole community was, however, thrown in jubilation as the combined soldiers from the 35 Artillery Brigade, Alamala, Abeokuta and police operatives from the Zone 2 Police Command, Onikan, came to arrest the illegal miners and armed police they used to intimidate my people.

鈥淲ith this latest development by the Federal Mining Office, Abuja, our people will be happy with the sealing of the illegal mining company as the company took them through hell.鈥�