During a search on an illicit mining location in the Federal Capital Territory’s Gwagwalada Area Council, 98 suspected illegal miners were taken into custody by soldiers of the 176 Guards Battalion as part of Operation MESA.
Zagazola Makama, a security and counter-insurgency specialist in the Lake Chad area, revealed this in a post on X.
According to Makama, the operation was carried out on March 23 at approximately 5:55 p.m. in response to information concerning illicit mining operations in the region. The forces assaulted the location and captured the suspects without any opposition.
One car, eight motorcycles, five pumping machines, 27 shovels, seven sledgehammers, 22 diggers, three head pans, five mining mats, and a bag of charcoal were among the things found during the operation, according to the source.
“The Guards Brigade Provost Group has received the arrested suspects for additional investigation and necessary action,” he stated.
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