Federal forces sealed the Ameka Mining Site in Ezza South Local Government Area of Ebonyi State on Wednesday, delivering a fresh blow to illegal miners plundering Nigeria’s mineral wealth.
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), acting shoulder-to-shoulder with the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, locked the gates and posted guards, citing “economic sabotage” as the trigger.
NSCDC spokesman CSC Babawale Afolabi told reporters: “This operation is part of the Corps’ commitment to combating illegal mining and protecting Nigeria’s vast mineral resources from economic saboteurs.”
Moments after padlocks snapped shut, Team Leader Superintendent of Corps Emmanuel Nkoro addressed the press on site. “The operation reflects the NSCDC’s alignment with the Federal Government’s renewed effort to sanitize the mining sector and promote lawful, transparent mineral exploitation,” he declared.
Nkoro, who heads the elite South East Mining Marshals Team, pledged no let-up. “We remain steadfast in collaborating with relevant agencies to enhance surveillance, strengthen enforcement, and sustain the government’s zero-tolerance stance against illegal mining across the region.”
The Ameka raid is the latest in a nationwide blitz launched after President Bola Tinubu ordered the military and paramilitary units to reclaim thousands of unlicensed pits.
Ebonyi, rich in lead, zinc and limestone, has become a flashpoint for clashes between artisanal diggers and licensed firms.
Mining expert Dr. Chika Eze called the closure “long overdue,” warning that unchecked illegal pits poison rivers and rob the treasury of billions in royalties yearly.
As dusk fell over the silent site, NSCDC trucks rolled out, leaving behind banners that read: “Mining Without Licence Is Treason Against Nigeria.”