The South South zone of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Mining Marshals has apprehended four individuals for alleged illegal mining activities that caused significant environmental damage and threatened a critical facility belonging to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
The arrest, which was confirmed in a statement from the Corps’ National Headquarters in Abuja, was executed following a direct petition from the NNPC. The petition raised alarms about substandard mining operations posing a serious threat to the integrity of one of its assets in the state.
Acting on the intelligence, the Mining Marshals unit swiftly moved to the site, where they discovered extensive degradation of the land. The operations were found to have caused substantial damage, creating safety hazards for nearby communities and posing risks to lives and property.
Preliminary investigations by the Corps revealed that while the company involved held a valid quarry licence, its activities blatantly violated standard operating procedures. This negligence was identified as the direct cause of the land degradation and the increased risk to the national infrastructure and personnel in the area.
The suspects are currently in custody and are being interrogated and profiled at the NSCDC State Command in Rivers. The site of the illegal activity has been sealed off to prevent further environmental harm and damage to the NNPC right of way.
The NSCDC reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding the nation’s natural resources and critical infrastructure. The Corps vowed to continue its intensified nationwide crackdown on illegal mining, ensuring that all offenders are prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
