Calabar, Nigeria – The Cross River State government has apprehended approximately 100 illegal miners suspected to have migrated from the Sahel Savannah region of Africa.
The arrests were made during a sting operation in Yakurr Local Government Area on Saturday, reportedly led by the State’s Security Adviser, Major General Okoi Obono (rtd).
The suspects, believed to be non-Nigerians aged between 20 and 27, were detained near Ugep while attempting to evade a checkpoint.
They were reportedly in possession of tools such as diggers, shovels, and earth-drilling machines.
An eyewitness, Ephraim Ofem, alleged that the miners arrived aboard trucks from northern Nigeria and were possibly from Chad, Niger, or Sudan.
“I think the young men apprehended by the authorities are between the ages of 20 to 27 years. They were arrested with diggers, shovels, and earth drilling machines.
“These people are not Nigerians even though some claimed to be Nigerians. These guys are suspected to have come from Chad, Niger and probably Sudan.
“These people are sponsored by faceless individuals to invade our community,” Ofem said, adding that similar activities were reported in Akamkpa Local Government Area, where miners allegedly carried firearms like AK-47 riffles during operations.
Efforts to contact Major General Obono for further details were unsuccessful. However, the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Irene Ugbo, confirmed the arrests, stating, “Yes, it’s true that the illegal miners had been arrested by the Cross River State government.
“They are going to be profiled, and those without papers would be repatriated.”
This incident highlights growing concerns about illegal mining activities and their implications for security and resource exploitation in the region.