25 November 2013, Abeokuta – The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, (NSCDC, Ogun State Command has announced the arrest of 26 suspects, including four teenagers, for allegedly engaging in illegal dredging activities.
The Corps Public Relations Officer in the state, Kareem Olanrewaju, disclosed this in Abeokuta, weekend.
The four teenagers arrested, according to Olanrewaju were, Argentina Zack 14, Azeez Inagozou ,16, Podo Sunday 17 and Kabra Kaziyan,15. They are from different places including Benin Republic.
“Exhibits recovered from the suspects include four lorries fully loaded with sharp sand with number plates Lagos, EKY244YE, Lagos KSF445XB and two others with no registration numbers as well as a Jincheng motorcycle with number plate Lagos, QQ902EKY.
“The critical infrastructure and gorverment asset unit of the Corps caught he suspects while dredging sharp sand at a location belonging to government around Imosun area of Ijebu North Local Government area of the state without authorisation or license from the government.
“The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, has been mandated by NSCDC Act of 2003 as amended in 2007 to safeguard all government assets, infrastructures or installations regardless of whether they belong to Local, State or Federal government.
“The corps critical Infrastructure Unit, during its routine patrol discovered a place where dredging activities was going en mass without any recourse to the law guiding safe mining which made the activities to be a threat to the environment
“The resources belongs to government and so remain government property, for this, it should not be left in the hand of individuals who excavate it to enrich their pocket.
“Most disheartening in the dredging activities is the use of under age children. The children have been introduced Into dredging activities. “We are not happy at the way the children are being used in tedious activities like this, taken them away from their parent who may not know their actual location”, he said.
– Vanguard
