The Nasarawa State Government on Sunday arrested the manager of a lithium mining company for operating illegally in the Kokona Local Government Area of the state.

The state Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Yakubu Kwanta, led a joint team of security agencies comprising the police, Department of Security Services and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps on the operation.

Speaking to journalists during the operation in Amba Kure Community, Kokona, the commissioner said that the manager of the company was arrested for operating on the site despite being shut down.

Mr Kwanta said that the site was shut down in June 2024 when it was discovered that the mining company was operating without community consent and the state government’s approval.

He said, “Instead of the management of the company visiting our office to address the problem and follow the laid down regulations of mining in the state, they went behind to continue operation. We got information that they entered the site in the night and started blasting rocks. We had to mobilise and storm the place immediately. They are bragging that they have the backing of some prominent persons in the country and that the state government cannot stop them from operating. We will no longer tolerate any act of economic sabotage capable of denying us the desired revenue and constituting a security threat.”

Mr Kwanta explained that Governor Abdullahi Sule recently directed the ministry to go after illegal miners and flush out crimes and criminality within the sector.

He pointed out that some highly placed persons were colluding with some of the mining firms to undermine the effort of the state government to sanitise the sector.

“The natural resources are supposed to be a blessing to our people. So, any company coming to mine in the state must get the community consent and government’s approval to enable the community and state to benefit. We will not allow our people to be short-changed by anybody, no matter how highly placed,” the commissioner said.

He, therefore, called on miners and mining firms to register with the state government before starting operation or would be sanctioned.

(NAN)