The collaborative effort, comprising representatives from the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development and the Cross River State Government, conducted a comprehensive monitoring operation across various mining sites.
The team, spearheaded by the Federal Mines Officer overseeing the state, the state commissioner of Minerals resources, and security personnel, unearthed illegal activities by certain miners.
These individuals were found to be exploiting and degrading mineral reserves in several communities.
Mr Effiom Ekaha, the Cross River State Commissioner for Mineral Resources, disclosed that upon receiving intelligence reports, the Governor had instructed a crackdown on illegal mining within the state, in collaboration with federal authorities.
The task force, led by Engineer Mayowa Omosebi, the Federal Mines Officer for Cross River State, Dr Otu Archibong, Chairman of the Mineral Resources and Environmental Management Committee (MIREMCO), and Mr Effiom Ekaha, the Commissioner for Mineral Resources, promptly took action. Recent enforcement operations resulted in the apprehension of suspects engaged in unauthorised mining activities, along with the confiscation of equipment from illicit mining sites.
During the operation, the Commissioner for Environment, Mr Moses Osogi, and the State Security Adviser, Major General Okoi Obono (Rtd.), emphasised the objective of addressing environmental degradation, economic repercussions, and security threats posed by illegal mining activities and their perpetrators.
The state government affirmed its unwavering commitment to curbing illegal mining to prevent further harm to the ecosystem and surrounding areas.
Engineer Mayowa Omosebi, the Federal Mines Officer for Cross River, and Dr Otu Archibong, the Cross River State Chairman of MIREMCO, asserted that the collaborative task force would bolster efforts to combat the escalating incidence of illegal mining in the state. They highlighted the potential environmental sabotage and long-term consequences on the local ecosystem and communities resulting from unchecked mining activities.
Furthermore, the task force inspected a vandalised artisanal mineral processing plant, part of the federal government’s economic sustainable plan post-COVID-19 intervention project, established two years ago in Okuku, Yala LGA.
Mr Effiom Ekaha expressed dismay at the damage inflicted on the facility, noting its capacity to empower numerous youths if operational.
He underscored the plant’s purpose in encouraging local miners to return to designated sites and discouraging mineral imports. Governor Bassey Otu’s administration’s intolerance towards illegal mining operations was emphasised, with a call for all mining entities in the state to undergo profiling by the government for security purposes. Efforts to enhance the economic value within the mining sector were highlighted.
Key highlights of the task force operations included visits to an illegal quarry site in Njua Bano, Boki LGA, the federal government’s artisanal facility in Okuku Yala LGA, and an unauthorised sand dredging site in Mfom 2, Yala local government area, operated by individuals from other states without government knowledge.