The FCT Police Command says security agencies of Operation “SAFE G-7” have arrested 21 illegal miners including a community leader, 3 Chinese Nationals, recovered Fire Arms and many other prohibited items on Tuesday, 4th January 2022 in the FCT.
According to a press release by the FCT Police Command Public Relations Officer, DSP Josephine Adeh ANIPR, she said that the miners who were said to have established a symbiotic relationship with bandits/ Kidnappers engaged the team in a gun duel and were forced to retreat, subsequently over powered by the superior fire power of the JTF and arrested.
The Command spokesperson said that the JTF in compliance with the G-7 mandates on day two of their operation, continued the patrol of villages sharing boundaries with Nasarawa state. The team upon the receipt of actionable intelligence, stormed a camp at Azam village, where an illegal mining site of about 40 minutes walking distance from the said village was discovered.
“The team recorded the successful arrest of about 21 illegal miners on the sites including foreign nationals, Adeh said.
DSP Adeh further said that majority amongst the arrested suspects were from the various bordering states, confessing to have enjoyed unfiltered cooperation with the head of the local community who was immediately taken into custody alongside the arrested suspects.
“The three male Chinese National Suspects arrested in connection to the offense will be officially handed over to the Nigeria Immigration Service, with a view of establishing their immigration status in Nigeria.
“Upon arrest, exhibits recovered included: Refined and unrefined gold, two gold weigh scales, criminal charms, seventeen mobile phones, Four motorcycles, Two dane guns, shovels, cutlasses, two pumping machines, one generator, substances suspected to be Cannabis, and other forms of hard drugs. The two suspects linked with the possession of the aforementioned drugs will be handed over to the NDLEA .Investigation is ongoing and upon completion suspects will be charged to court, the statement said.
The menace of kidnapping, banditry and other criminal activities within seven states namely; Kogi, Niger, Kaduna, Nasarawa, Benue, Plateau states and The Federal Capital Territory, Operationally codenamed “G-7” has become a worrisome trend, as such, heads of the respective security agencies in the region planned embankment on a massive raid and cleanup operation in all mapped out hideouts, camps and areas serving as refuges to miscreants.
The exercise is code named operation “Safe G-7” and intended to further promote confidence building and take the fight to the miscreants in their hideout at the various boundaries between the FCT and contingents states, aimed at enhancing safety and security within and around the states.
The continuation of the operation in Matte, Kwali area council led to reclaiming the village successfully which was recently invaded by suspected bandits and immediately followed up with deployments to provide the needed security going forward.
The Commissioner of Police FCT Command, CP Babaji Sunday while registering the commands unflinching commitment to the crusade against crime and criminality in the FCT, urged residents not to relent in cooperating with the Police.
