By Laleye Dipo in Minna
About 60 illegal miners have been arrested by security operatives in Minna, the Niger State capital.
A combined security team made up of men of the Nigerian Army, Nigeria Police and Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) stormed the mining sites on Wednesday evening when the illegal miners were preparing for the day’s “job”.
THISDAY gathered that on arrival at the Chanchaga mining site, very close to the Federal Government College in the state capital, the security men shot sporadically into the air to instill fear into the illegal miners after which they started arresting them as they scampered for safety.
It was learnt that those arrested were forced into the four pick-up vans the security operatives brought for the operation.
They were reportedly taken to the Army barracks in the state capital where they were detained. However, it was learnt that the female illegal miners were not arrested.
Details later…
