The Federal Government through the Federal Minister of Solid Minerals Development, on Wednesday directed the Mining Marshals to shut down an illegal gold mining site in the Gwagwalada area of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Dr Dele Alake gave the directive following reports of illegal gold mining in the area.
The Ministry also arrested at least 16 people connected to illegal gold mining during an operation by mining marshals.
Alake made this known in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Mr Segun Tomori, on Wednesday in Abuja.
According to the statement, artisanal miners invaded the community after a “gold vein was accidentally discovered” during the digging of a soakaway pit near a residential building.
The Deputy Director in the mines inspectorate department, Sunday Okhuoya, who led officials on an on-the-spot assessment, expressed satisfaction with the level of compliance with the minister’s directive.
According to Okhuoya , investigations are underway to determine the root cause of the invasions and recommend measures to prevent a recurrence.
The commander of the mining marshals, John Attah Onoja, added that his team has mounted 24-hour surveillance on the sealed sites pending the outcome of the federal government’s inquiry.
Onoja, who added that the latest activity took place on a farmland behind CKC in Gwagwalada, warned residents to steer clear of the affected areas over possible environmental and public health risks.
According to the statement, the federal government is fast-tracking the use of satellite surveillance technology to strengthen monitoring and clamp down on illegal mining nationwide.
