The paramount ruler of the Agwada community in Nasarawa State, His Royal Highness, Abubakar Sadiq Obagu has called for the removal of the commander, Mining Marshal of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), ACC Attah John Onoja and his team from the community for not doing enough to stop the illegal mining activities in the village, which has led to the death of some villagers.
The traditional ruler, who stated this while addressing his people, who had led a protest to his palace on Monday, said the illegal mining activities in in Rafin Gabbas, an area in the community has become a menace to his people as they can not go to farm around the mining areas again.
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He stated that the community has lost people both under age and adults, who died in the mining sites and currently, they are been harassed by the mining officials at the mining sites whenever they passed the areas to go to their farms.
According to him, “our people have suffered greatly since the illegal mining commenced in this community. We have lost loves once and now, we can not access our farms because we are been arrested and chased our by the mining marshals. We are calling for a change of the commander of the mining marshal and his team. Instead, government can deploy mining marshal from Nasarawa State and not impose this team, which are currently here.”
He stated that currently, there are about 50 mining marshals guarding the illegal sites and yet, under aged people are used in the sites for illegal mining at nights.
He recalled that he had written to the the Director General of Nigeria Mining Cadastre Office, stating that they not consent to companies like Capital Apex Synergy Global Services Limited, Nizhong Mining Company Limited, Badger Mines Nigeria Limited, Badger Mines Baba Allen Nigeria Limited; laying claims to have licenses in Rafin Gabbas and requested the director general to deny approval of any mineral titles to these companies.
He called on President Bola Tinubu and the inspector general of police to intervene in the situation and save the community from further damage.
While speaking to journalists, Danjuma Edekwudu, one of the parents, who lost two children to the illegal mining activities, called on the federal government to come to his aide as he is currently sick and bedridden after the death of his sons.
According to him, ” I lost my son’s, Hassan Danjuma and Odula Danjuma in the illegal mining sites. They were lured to the sites to mining at night and when the soil collapsed, they didn’t survive. I am hopeless and can only hope for government intervention to survive the sickness I am battling now.”
Also, the secretary of the mining community, Eshimutu Ode reiterated the call for the removal of the mining marshals from the community, saying that under their watch, many villagers have died in the mining sites and nobody is saying anything to the families or the community about it.
When contacted the commander, mining marshal, ACC Onoja said as the mining commander, his job is to secure all mining sites and that, he has done and there are a lot of bad activities going on at the mining sites, which him and his team has tried to handle well.
According to him, “This is a public and sensitive issues involving a lot of bad activities going on in the mining sites…I have ensured that the illegal miners are arrested and even prosecuted.”
