Police arrest eight illegal miners with 3 trailers loaded with marble stones in Kwara
By Mosunmola Ayobami, Ilorin
The Kwara State Police Command has arrested eight illegal miners along Share/Tsaragi and Patigi areas of the state
The illegal miners arrested are; Abdulbagi Sadiq, Isah Amisu, Mohammed Idris, Alhassan Rabiu, Mohammed Abdulbagi, Ibrahim Balarabe, Mohammed Idris and Abubakar Tasiu.
Their arrest was contained in a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Ajayi Okasanmi on Thursday in Ilorin.
“Acting on a petition and a letter written to the Commissioner of Police, Kwara State, Paul Odama by the residents and natives of Patigi in Patigi Local Government Area of Kwara State and the Association of Licenced Miners of Kwara State to the effect that illegal miners have turned their ancestral lands to a beehive of illegal mining of the mineral resources thereby causing ecological problem and sabotage to the economy of both the state and the federal government, a team of Kwara State Police Command’s operatives were dispatched to the area to arrest and if possible recover and impound any illegally mined minerals in the said area.
“The police team swung into action and on 30/10/2022 at about 0200hrs, the suspects named hereunder were arrested with three trailer loads of suspected marbles illegally mined; Abdulbagi Sadiq, aged 28yrs with a trailer with registration number SGM 222 ZR, Isah Amisu, aged 28yrs with a trailer with registration number GBE 347ZE, Mohammed Zanihat Idris, aged 27yrs with a trailer with registration number BWR 151 YL, Alhassan Rabiu, Mohammed Abdulbagi, Ibrahim Sule Balarabe, Mohammed Dalhatu Idris and Abubakar Tasiu,” the statement added
The statement added that exhibits have been recovered, while the suspects after interrogation and confessions have been charged to court.
“The command is stating with all sense of responsibility that economic sabotage and any acts inimical to the health and security of lives and property of the citizens and people of the state would be resisted.
“The Commissioner of Police advised the people of Kwara State to join hands with the police to rid the state of all forms of criminality,” the statement added.
