NSCDC arrests 26 illegal miners, 14 vandals in Delta

Barely three days after the inauguration of a special armed squad “solid mineral defenders Unit” by the Delta State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), operatives of the unit in the early hours of Sunday arrested 26 suspected illegal miners in Abraka and Sapele communities in the state.

While the operatives of the NSCDC last Thursday arrested 14 suspected vandals, the command commandant, Mrs. Beatrice Irabor, who confirmed the arrest of the suspects to journalists in Asaba, said the suspects presently undergoing interrogation, would be charged to court on the completion of investigation by the NSCDC.

Mrs. Irabor said that the “defenders Unit” of the command has the mandate to check activities of illegal miners in the state, adding “no illegal mining will be tolerated in Delta State henceforth, our men have been placed on red alert, and I assure Deltans that the NSCDC would bring to book those involved in the illegal mining.”

She said, “The suspects were arrested at different locations, in Abraka, Sapele, while the suspected vandals were arrested in Kwale and Oleh Communities; we are interrogating them and as soon as we are through with the interrogations, we will charge them to court.”

Investigation revealed that Delta State has in the last six years been under siege of illegal mining activities, especially in ughelli, Abraka, Ozorro, Sapele, Warri and Mossoga, where the perpetrators allegedly turned into beehive of business activities before the inauguration of the special squad by NSCDC to put the perpetrators on check.