The Anambra State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has raided an illegal mining site at the Omambala River in Ifite-Ogwari, Ayamelum Local Government Area, and confiscated a sand dredging machine along with other mining equipment.
State Commandant, Mr. Olatunde Maku, disclosed this on Monday in Awka while addressing journalists on the command’s recent activities. He said the operation, executed by the Mines and Steel Development Unit of the NSCDC in partnership with the Federal Mines Officer, Mr. Edet Oku, followed credible intelligence reports about illicit activities at the site.
According to Maku, the raid, carried out on May 30, saw all suspected illegal miners flee the scene as the enforcement team arrived. Equipment left behind included a dredger, engine pumps, drums, suction and discharge pipes, and other materials, which were recovered and taken into custody. The site has since been sealed, and a manhunt has begun for the fleeing suspects.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the site was legally licensed to Mr. Ike Nweke of Trillike Investment Ltd., but had been unlawfully taken over by unauthorized individuals. Maku emphasized that the NSCDC remains committed to protecting licensed operators, curbing environmental degradation, and preventing loss of government revenue.
He assured that a full investigation is underway to expose the scale of the illegal operation and bring all offenders and accomplices to justice, warning that illegal miners will face the full weight of the law.
