By Andrew Ojih, Jalingo.
The Anti-Illegal Mining Task Force Sunday apprehended fourteen suspected illegal miners from Bauchi, Gombe and four Toyota Hummer Buses loaded with suspected illegal miners from Zamfara state in Taraba state.
The chairman of the task force, SP Emmanuel Jamu in a statement signed and made available to newsmen in Jalingo hinted that the suspects were nabbed following a credible intelligence while they were proceeding to an illegal mining site located in Gangtu village in Bali local government area of Taraba state.
“Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects were from Bauchi, Gombe, and with four Toyota Hummer Buses fully loaded with suspected illegal miners from Zamfara states.
They all traveled to Taraba state to carry out unauthorized mining operations within the state” the statement said.
The statement confirmed that the suspects are currently in custody and will be handed over to the Taraba State Police Command for further investigation before being sent back to their various states of origin.
According to the statement, the Task Force Commander reiterated the commitment of the operatives to rid the state of all forms of illegal mining activities, warning that anyone found engaging in such unlawful acts will face the full law of the land.
“We are here to send a clear message, they can run today, but they cannot run forever, they will face the full weight of the law” the statement maintained.
The statement encouraged members of the public to continue to dish out useful information that will assist security agencies in protecting the state’s natural resources.
According to the statement, the Chairman of the task force reiterated the force’s commitment to dismantling illegal mining networks across the state.