The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Ebonyi State Command, has arrested four persons for illegal mining and gas plant.
The suspects were arrested in a mining pit in Ameka, Ezza South Local Government Area of the state and Ezzamgbo, Ohaukwu Local Government Area also in the state on Tuesday.
Francis Nnadi, the state Commandant of the NSCDC, said the command raided the mining pit, arrested the suspects, sealed the pit and stormed a gas plant in 135 Ezzamgbo that was built within residential buildings and other structures including churches and shops.
Nnadi who led the arrest of the suspects, told journalists at the scene of their arrests that their activities were constituting environmental hazards and threatening the lives of the people.
He wondered why mining should be taking place in areas where people live and also condemned the act of establishing gas plant in residential areas.
Nnadi warned that the command would not allow any activity that will endanger people’s lives and vowed that the suspects would be prosecuted.
He observed that the suspects did not get licenses from relevant agencies before engaging in the mining and gas businesses.
“This is almost 2.8 tons of gas plant located where people are living. These are residential buildings and you can even see that they cook around there.
“You can see children playing around. This is also a church beside this gas plant. We need to let the general public know about the hazardous nature of this business. No requisite documents to permit this kind of business in this kind of environment.
“I want to use this opportunity to warn Ebonyi people against such practices. Remember what happened in Los Angeles, the wildfire. This is more hazardous than that wildfire. This can engulf the whole community. The suspect is with us and he will appear in court,” Nnadi said.
The suspect, Oge Dandy said he didn’t know that the gas plant was sited where people are living, adding that he is based in Plateau State and gave someone money to establish the plant for him.
He opined that he was surprised to see that the plant was sited in such environment when he returned to Ebonyi last Christmas.
Oge admitted that he did get approval for the gas plant before it was sited.
