Police arrests 251 illegal miners in Zamfara

The Zamfara State Police Command said on Friday at least 251 illegal miners including a Burkinabe were arrested during a raid on the state’s mining sites last weekend.

The state Police Commissioner, Usman Nagogo, who paraded the suspects at the command headquarters in Gusau, recalled that some Chinese nationals and their Nigerian collaborators were arrested on April 20.

The arrest of the suspects followed a directive by the Inspector- General of Police, Mohammed Adamu and the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai to security agents to go after the culprits.

According to him, the Brigade Commander, 1 Brigade, Nigeria Army, Gusau, Brig. Gen. Bello Musliyu, led a team of security operatives to raid the mining sites in Kawaye, Zugu, Dan Kamfani and Bagega on May 21.

READ ALSO: Nigerian govt to prosecute foreign illegal miners in Zamfara, Osun

The police commissioner said the security operatives were drawn from the army, the police and the Directorate of Security Services (DSS).

Nagogo told journalists that the security operatives also raided Dareta and Daki-Takwas mining sites in Anka, Bukkuyum, and Gummi local government areas of the state.

He disclosed that 12 water pumping machines, 29 motorcycles, chemical for gold and unrefined gold sifting materials were recovered at the illegal mining sites.

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