Village head, 33 others arrested over illegal mining in Niger

By Wole Mosadomi, Minna

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Niger State Command, has arrested a village head and 33 others in connection with the killing of a police constable and the burning of an NSCDC patrol vehicle during a violent clash with suspected illegal miners in the Zuzungi area of Katcha Local Government Area.

The State Commandant, Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, disclosed this while briefing journalists on the incident. He said several suspects were apprehended at the residence of the village head, where they had reportedly taken refuge following the crisis.

According to him, 34 suspects are currently in NSCDC custody. Nineteen were arrested at the village head’s residence in Zuzungi Gwari, Kataeregi, while 15 others were intercepted on the road while attempting to flee the community.

Aniviye recalled that the incident occurred last Wednesday during a routine joint patrol by NSCDC personnel, officers of the Nigeria Police Force, and a local security outfit in a mining area operated by Millennium Metals Mining Company.

During the patrol, security operatives intercepted individuals allegedly engaged in illegal mining and attempting to smuggle minerals from the site. The suspects reportedly resisted arrest, leading to a violent confrontation with law enforcement agents.

“In the course of the attack, an NSCDC patrol Hilux vehicle was set ablaze by the assailants, while Police Constable Emmanuel Shamsi of the Nigeria Police Force tragically lost his life in the line of duty,” the commandant said.

He added that NSCDC and other security personnel tactically withdrew from the scene to prevent further escalation and casualties.

Investigations into the incident are ongoing.

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