The Kogi State Government has uncovered a gold mining site at Iretuba community in Okene Local Government Area of the state, where illegal miners had operated freely.
The government in a sting operation by an enforcement team led by the Commissioner for Solid Minerals and Natural Resources, Abubakar Bashir Gegu arrested two illegal miners whom they found operating on the site.
Iretuba is an Ebira community near the boundary between Kogi and Edo states, famously known as the home of a sacred cultural stone.
Disclosing the development in a statement shared on his page, Gegu noted the suspects, Abdulrahaman Nuhuramat and Yusuf Ramat, have been handed over to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) for further investigation and prosecution.
”Illegal mining is economic sabotage. It robs our state of revenue, destroys our environment, and threatens the peace of our host communities. Let me be clear: under Governor Ododo’s administration, there is zero tolerance for illegality. We will find you wherever you are hiding.
”I want to thank the Village Head of Iretuba, Mallam Adams Shuaibu, and the entire community for their cooperation and for providing credible intelligence.
”I have heard the appeal of the Village Head on the need for government to protect their ancestral lands from trespassers and land grabbers. I assure them that their complaint will be conveyed to His Excellency, and we will work with security agencies to secure their land.
”I urge all our traditional rulers and community leaders to continue to partner with us. If you see something, say something. We will not stop until Kogi’s mineral resources work for Kogi people, ” he said.
