Environment:
NSCDC, Ebonyi Govt Ban Illegal Mining, Crack Down On Infrastructure Vandalism
The initiative is aimed at ending unlicensed mining operations, protecting public revenue and curbing environmental degradation.
(File) An Illegal mining site
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), in collaboration with the Ebonyi State Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, has announced an immediate and total ban on illegal mining activities across the state.
The enforcement measure was announced during a joint press briefing held at the NSCDC Command Headquarters in Abakaliki.
The initiative is aimed at ending unlicensed mining operations, protecting public revenue and curbing environmental degradation.
Addressing newsmen, the Ebonyi State Commandant of the NSCDC, Francis Nnadi, warned illegal operators to vacate the state immediately or face legal consequences.
“Artisanal miners who take the law into their hands must understand that those days are over,” Commandant Nnadi stated.
“There are statutory requirements and basic operational conditions that must be met. Without these in place, all mining activities must cease immediately.”
Nnadi also warned unlicensed buyers and mineral traders operating without valid permits.
“Buyers who lack the prerequisite licenses or official authorization to trade in solid minerals in Ebonyi State should take this as a final notice. Anyone caught will face the full wrath of the law,” he warned.
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He said NSCDC personnel are working with local communities, state officials and sister security agencies to ensure compliance, adding that offenders would be prosecuted as a deterrent to others.
Beyond mining enforcement, Nnadi reminded contractors and members of the public that protecting critical national infrastructure falls within the mandate of the NSCDC.
He cautioned construction firms against damaging telecommunication fibre-optic cables and public utilities during the execution of projects.
“These underground cables connect all of us. If contractors damage or vandalize them while carrying out business, we will hold them accountable and charge them accordingly,” Nnadi emphasised.
“We are working with both the Federal and State Ministries of Works to ensure proper due diligence is conducted before earthworks begin.”
Also speaking, the State Commissioner for Solid Minerals Development, Chinedum Nkah, said the solid minerals sector remains a vital revenue driver for Ebonyi State, second only to statutory federal allocations.
“We cannot under any circumstances accommodate attempts to sabotage this sector,” Commissioner Nkah stated.
“Sabotaging solid minerals means sabotaging the efforts of Governor Francis Nwifuru’s administration in delivering the ‘People’s Charter of Needs’ to our citizens.”
Nkah called on security agencies to track down illegal mineral marketers who facilitate illicit trade and cart away resources without paying statutory duties.
“While we recognize that many earn a living through artisanal mining, operators must register with the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development so we can maintain accurate records and differentiate legitimate miners from illegal operators,” Nkah explained.
“A federal license does not give anyone the liberty to operate with impunity in Ebonyi State.”
The commissioner revealed that the ministry has established a task force to monitor mining sites for environmental compliance, particularly requiring companies to reclaim and cover open pits after extraction.
“We will no longer tolerate situations where miners extract billions of Naira, cart away profits, and leave abandoned pits that pose death traps to our people,” Nkah declared.
To strengthen enforcement, the ministry will collaborate with the NSCDC in the coming days to train members of the newly established task force on operational guidelines, legal frameworks and intelligence sharing.
The state government and security agencies urged members of the public to assist law enforcement by reporting suspicious mining activities and cases of infrastructure vandalism within their communities.
