Troops of the 176 Guards Battalion have arrested four suspects, including an alleged leader of an illegal mining syndicate, during a security operation in the Gwagwalada Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The operation was carried out in Dukpa community following credible intelligence gathered after the earlier arrest of suspected illegal miners in the area. The intelligence reportedly led security personnel to the group’s operational base, where the raid was conducted.
According to military sources, the suspected kingpin admitted during initial questioning that he financed the illegal mining activities and recruited workers from Katsina State to carry out the operations within the FCT.
Security operatives recovered several items during the raid, including a motorcycle, digging equipment, filter carpets, pumping machine nozzles, 53 wraps of suspected cannabis, ₦360,400 in cash and other mining tools.
The suspects and all recovered exhibits remain in military custody as investigations continue before they are handed over to the appropriate authorities for prosecution.
The operation forms part of the ongoing Operation MESA campaign aimed at combating illegal mining, safeguarding the country’s mineral resources and addressing security concerns linked to unlawful mining activities in the Federal Capital Territory.
