Troops of the 176 Guards Battalion operating under Operation MESA have apprehended 98 suspected illegal miners during a coordinated raid in Gwagwalada Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The operation, which took place around 5:55 p.m. on March 23, followed actionable intelligence on illicit mining activities in the area. Security forces moved swiftly to the location, where the suspects were arrested without resistance.
According to security analyst Zagazola Makama, a range of items linked to the illegal operation were recovered. These include a vehicle, eight motorcycles, five pumping machines, 27 shovels, seven sledgehammers, 22 diggers, three head pans, five mining mats, and a sack of charcoal.
The suspects have since been transferred to the Guards Brigade Provost Group for further investigation and possible prosecution, as authorities intensify efforts to curb illegal mining activities in the FCT.
