The Police in Ogun have arrested two illegal miners excavating laterite near a high-tension cable of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) in Sagamu.
Mr Bimbo Ashiru, the state Commissioner for Commerce and Industry who ran into the suspects while they were carrying out their illegal activities, gave the order for their arrest.
The commissioner who addressed the media shortly after the arrest warned that the government would not fail to take action as appropriate.
“Government will not hesitate to impose appropriate sanctions on anyone caught engaging in unregulated mining activities in the state,’’ he said.
Ashiru lamented that activities of illegal miners had impacted negatively on the environment, thereby posing a threat to lives and property.
?“It is disheartening to note that in spite of various punitive measures put in place to check illegal mining, some unscrupulous individuals still fail to realise the negative effects of their actions on the people and environment,’’ he said.
The commissioner urged those interested in mining activities within the state to approach the government for necessary approval in accordance with the relevant sections of the Mining Act.
He assured that the state government was alive to its responsibilities and would not allow illegal miners to degrade the environment through unregulated mining activities.
Mr Muyiwa Adejobi, the spokesperson of the Ogun Police Command confirmed the arrest, saying the suspects would soon be charged to court.(NAN)