The Federal Government has shut down a sand dredging and mining company operating in the Ilate-Etido Community in Obafemi/Owode local government area of Ogun State due to illegal mining activities.
The company, Ojibas Nigeria Limited, owned by a businessman from Osun State, was sealed on Tuesday by officers from the Mining Inspectorate Department, Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals and Development, Oke Mosan, Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
It was discovered that the company’s operating license for dredging laterite and sand in the community had been revoked by the Nigeria Mining Cadastral Office, Abuja, since August 12, 2022.
Despite the revocation, which was published in the official gazette of NMCO, Abuja, the company continued its illegal activities, using policemen and soldiers for security.
On May 28, 2024, a combined team of soldiers from the 35 Artillery Brigade, Alamala, Abeokuta, and police operatives from Zone 2 Command of the Nigeria Police Force, Onikan, Lagos, raided the company and arrested suspected illegal miners at the dredging site.
The security team also arrested some policemen and soldiers providing cover for the illegal miners, headed by a Chinese national, and took them to Onikan for interrogation.
Before this action, residents of the host community had protested against the company, decrying the negative and destructive impacts of the illegal sand dredging on their farmlands, environment, and livelihoods.
Speaking about the sealing of the mining company, Chief Shamsideen Ajibawo, the Community Head of Ilate-Etido, praised the Federal Government for issuing the ‘stop work order’ on the company, which had been operating illegally in the community.
He said the community would now experience significant relief, noting that the company’s unauthorized activities had caused serious environmental degradation.
“I personally wrote several letters to the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals, Cadastral Mining office, Office of the Inspector General of Police, Chief of Naval Staff, and Ministry of Mines, Ogun State, about the activities of these illegal miners.
“When I visited Abuja, I discovered that the company’s operating license had been revoked, but the promoter refused to leave the community, boasting that he had acquired all the land in Ilate-Etido and that the locals should vacate the land. The whole community rejoiced when the combined team of soldiers and police arrested the illegal miners and the armed police who intimidated my people.
“With this latest development by the Federal Mining Office, Abuja, our people will be pleased with the sealing of the illegal mining company, which subjected them to immense hardship,” Ajibawo stated.