NSCDC arrests 15, seizes eight trucks loaded with illegal minerals
The Edo Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps has successfully detained 15 individuals and seized eight trucks transporting illegally mined solid minerals as part of a series of coordinated operations conducted throughout the state.
On Monday, the State Commandant, Saidi Akintayo, announced the arrests, describing the intensive crackdown as a significant operational success in the command’s ongoing battle against economic sabotage.
Akintayo revealed that these arrests were the result of intelligence-driven operations executed on November 15 and 16, where six trucks suspected of carrying illegally mined Kyline clay were stopped along the Benin–Sapele Road.
He indicated that the drivers and assistants of these six trucks could not provide valid authorization documents, which led to the apprehension of nine suspects during that specific operation. The suspects were named as Tobilola Moses, Laseisi Adesegun, Olayinka Dimeji, Joshua Ojo, Peter Oliga, Owolabi Gabriel, Solomon Shedrach, Adela Tannimawo, and Ibrahim Habib.
In another operation carried out on the same day, the NSCDC Monitoring and Surveillance Team managed to intercept two trucks discovered to be transporting lithium along the Auchi Road at the Ogbemudia Farm area.
The Commandant noted that the documents provided by the drivers of the two lithium trucks were deemed “totally irreconcilable,” resulting in the arrest of four more suspects.
The additional suspects were identified as drivers Jimoh Mahmood and Abubakar Aminu, along with their assistants Abdulmutallib Ibrahim, Nafiu Ibrahim, Mubarak Abdul, and AbdulKareem Nasir.
Earlier, on the Saturday prior, the corps also made an arrest near the CCA Construction area, where a man named Hassan Rufai was detained for transporting suspected stolen goods, including a solar battery, a generator, a plasma TV, and inverter chargers.
Akintayo strongly denounced illegal mining, labeling it as a harmful economic crime that causes significant damage through loss of revenue, environmental destruction, and increased insecurity within the state.
He assured the public that all detained suspects and confiscated vehicles have been transferred to the NSCDC exhibit yard, where they will remain for comprehensive investigation before legal proceedings begin.
The Commandant concluded by encouraging residents of Edo State to promptly report any suspicious activities, reaffirming the command’s steadfast commitment to safeguarding national assets and effectively combating all forms of illegal mining activities throughout Edo.
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