Officials round up 17 suspects in crackdown on illegal operation: 'The raid was a result of complaints from local residents'

Following an increasing number of complaints from residents in Kogi State, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps has impounded multiple vehicles and arrested 17 individuals involved in illegal mining.

According to Punch, the NSCDC released a statement that explained, "The raid was a result of complaints from local residents over environmental degradation and public health threats allegedly linked to the illegal and unregulated mining activities."

The NSCDC undertook a coordinated operation, which the NSCDC Mining Marshals carried out. The NSCDC Mining Marshals is an initiative created to protect mineral resources in the country, enforce mining laws, and reduce the amount of illegal mining activity.

Thanks to the residents' complaints, the area should now be safer and cleaner. While mineral mining can significantly contribute to local economies, small-scale mining outside established policies and protections has a number of downsides, as one study established.

Illegal mining has a significant impact on the environment in several ways, Punch revealed. It creates noise and air pollution, destroys biodiversity from flora to fauna, and can pollute surface and underground waterways via mud, sediment, and toxic contamination.

However, the effects of illegal mining on people are just as significant. Mining illegally often goes hand in hand with smuggling, resulting in significant revenue losses for local economies. This, in turn, can lead to food insecurity (as does the destruction of local environments).

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A number of health issues are also associated with illegal mining, including malaria, hearing loss from noise pollution, and respiratory diseases.

According to the NSCDC spokesperson, a total of 39 motorcycles and three trucks were seized during the operation, and the marshals arrested 17 suspects.

While it's unclear what penalties the arrested suspects may end up paying, Punch reported that the NSCDC would continue shutting down illegal mining, as it said, "The Commandant General of the NSCDC, Ahmed Audi, has continued to reiterate the readiness of the NSCDC to take the battle to all the criminal elements that are fattening on the critical national assets of the country."

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