Metro News

Blood Money: Understanding the link between illegal mining and banditry

Published

2 years ago

July 20, 2024

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Niger and Zamfara are among the few states in the North-west and North-Central regions, endowed with huge deposits of minerals and other natural resources, and for years, several communities in the two states have been into local mining as their second source of livelihood, after farming.

Weekend Trust investigations revealed that the two states are endowed with several minerals, including talc, gold, ball clays, silica, sand, marble, copper, iron, felspar, lead, kaolin, casserole, columbine, mica, quartzite, and limestone, among others.

Participation in the local mining in those communities has become the norm among the people, as every household is actively engaged in one aspect of mining or the other, depending on the capability or economic status of the family.

Each household engages in the activities, ranging from digging the pits, stone grinding, thrashing, or washing the sand in search of natural resources, particularly gold. Very few among the locals serve as agents of the major gold dealers.

Residents conduct mining locally, taking their gold and other minerals to places like Lagos, Port-Harcourt and sometimes to countries like Ghana and Benin Republic, among others, for onward sale to major dealers. On some occasions, the dealers visit the two states to buy gold and other minerals directly from the miners or through their agents.

The link between gold mining and banditry

Until the emergence of banditry in the two states, local mining had been taking place in several communities in Niger and Zamfara states without much negative impact, apart from the major hazard of mining pits’ collapse.

Even after the incidents of banditry started in the two states, initially, there was no link between the mining activities and the violent act. While the criminals were kidnapping for ransom, engaging in cattle rustling and carrying out attacks on villages and towns, the residents on the other hand, concentrated on mining and farming as their sources of livelihood.

In Zamfara State, it was gathered that the link between banditry and mining emanated from the miners, who developed the habit of killing one another in the course of their activities.

Alhaji Yusuf Bello, a local miner in Mutunji village, Maru Local Government, told Weekend Trust that, “Sometimes when a miner gets expensive gold, his colleagues connive and kill him in order to take away the gold. You know they carry Dane guns for protection because most of the mining sites are located in remote areas.

“However, as humans, sometimes they envy their colleagues whenever they get huge gold. So, at times, they kill their colleagues with a view to taking away the expensive mineral they have found.

“This is how killings among the miners started, and that was also the starting point of banditry in this part of the country. Both banditry and mining are about getting money,” he said.

It was learnt that after the bandits have rustled cattle and other animals and birds in the villages and towns, they will then compel the people to sell other properties to pay ransom for their loved ones to regain their freedom. Then, the bandits realised that whenever they demanded ransom, the relatives of their victims always asked to be given some days to enable them to sell their gold to pay.

This is said to have made the bandits change their tactics by using informants among the locals to know who had gold or any expensive mineral in the communities, so that he or his relatives would be abducted.

According to Idris Musa, a resident of Ruwan Dorawa village: “It is through this method that the bandits got to know that most of those that were paying ransom as and when due to free their loved ones, were from the gold mining families.

“That is how the bandits got attracted to mining activities. They got to understand that a lot of money was being made from it. The bandits, therefore, engaged in mining in many ways,” he further explained.

He said currently, most of the mining sites in the state are either owned or controlled by bandits’ leaders, recalling that “about three months ago, one of the bandit kingpins, Kachalla Halilu, allegedly got gold worth N150 million in Kanye village, Anka Local Government Area of Zamfara State.

“Kachalla focuses more on mining than banditry nowadays. He has hired dozens of local miners who are currently working for him at various mining sites across the state. Also, in Mada village, Gusau Local Government Area, more than half of the mining sites operating in Fegin-Mahe and Ajiya villages and parts of Zurmi Local Government Area are said to be owned and controlled by bandits’ leaders.

Muhammad Sanusi, a resident of Zurmi town, told Weekend Trust that, “We always wonder why the local mining continues in this part of the state despite the security challenges we are facing. You will never hear that bandits attacked mining sites in this area.

“But the bandits have launched several attacks on villagers, abducting and killing scores of people besides the large number of domestic animals and other belongings they cart away or destroy. This is to tell you that there is a strong link between the bandits and miners,” he said.

Also, a resident of Tsafe town, Iliyasu Abubakar, alleged that the famous bandits’ leaders, Bello Turji and Ado Alleiro, were involved in mining activities. They are said to own mining sites in Maru, Bukkuyyum, Maradun and Tsafe local government areas, among other places.

Also, checks in Dansadau district indicated that there are no fewer than 18 villages where bandits are carrying out mining activities, with another 18 villages in Zurmi Local Government, while in Birnin Magaji, the residents have entered an agreement with a bandit kingpin, Dan Karami, to control all the mining sites in Gotal and Shamshalle villages and allow them to live in peace.

Sometime in September last year, one of the bandits’ leaders in the state, Damina, placed a levy of N200 million on the people of Mutunji village in Maru, after he heard about a huge amount of gold scooped by one of the local miners in the village. And when the people failed to pay the levy, Damina abducted 150 members of the community, Weekend Trust gathered.

It was further gathered that virtually all the bandits’ leaders operating in Zamfara State are into illegal mining activities to get more money to buy sophisticated weapons, in order to sustain their operations.

Having realised the strong link that exists between banditry and mining, the Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, in January this year, signed an Executive Order prohibiting traditional rulers from issuing consent letters for mining across the state.

Metro News

NDLEA arrests South African woman with drug shipments, seizes large consignment of drugs at Lagos airport

Published

14 hours ago

October 11, 2026

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The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says its operatives have arrested a South African, Gebashe Sithandiwe Jessie, with 30 parcels of Thai Loud, a strain of cannabis, weighing 32.74 kilogrammes, at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, Rivers State.

According to a statement issued on Sunday by the NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the drugs were concealed in two travelling bags.

The statement added that the suspect travelled from Thailand through Doha aboard Qatar Airways flight QR1431.

“She confessed to having previously trafficked through other African countries, and was expanding her route to Port Harcourt when she was caught.”

Similarly, NDLEA operatives at the import shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, intercepted a shipment of 354,000 tablets of Tapentadol 250mg weighing 307.20kg from Pakistan.

Babafemi said the consignment arrived aboard a Royal Air Maroc flight on September 29 and was placed under surveillance before a joint examination on Tuesday, October 6, uncovered the drugs in nine cartons.

In a separate operation at the Lagos airport, NDLEA officers intercepted 70 parcels of Colorado, a synthetic cannabinoid, weighing 75.90kg in six Ghana-Must-Go bags contained in a consolidated cargo from the United Kingdom.

The statement said the shipment was monitored after arriving on September 29.

A clearing agent, John Edrah, 54, was arrested on September 30, while an Uber driver, Taofiq Ajibola, 54, was apprehended while collecting one of the bags at a logistics company in Mafoluku, Oshodi.

The agency said Adetunji Adebayo and Kazeem Damola Dosunmu, 48, a clothing trader, were subsequently arrested when they came to collect the remaining five bags.

According to Babafemi, Ajibola said the drugs were sent by a UK-based associate, Lukman Sa’idu, while Dosunmu claimed his consignment came from another UK-based man identified as Yusuf.

In Cross River State, NDLEA operatives arrested 46-year-old Adama Inuwa at Iyala Nkun village, Ikom Local Government Area, on Sunday, October 4, following surveillance.

Babafemi said the operation led to the recovery of 181 bags of cannabis sativa weighing 1,100kg and 17.15kg of cannabis seeds.

In Edo State, officers intercepted a black Toyota Camry conveying 1,049 blocks of compressed cannabis weighing 702.83kg at Otuo, Owan East Local Government Area, on Monday, October 5.

The agency said Monday Orji, 52; Monday Lawal, 40; and Precious Uduegele, 20, were arrested in connection with the seizure.

In a separate raid at Asoro, off Sakponba Road, Benin City, operatives arrested 26-year-old Ojugo Mercy with 989 grammes of Loud, 13 grammes of Colorado and 83 grammes of methamphetamine.

In Ondo State, a 21-year-old suspect, Happy Endurance, was arrested at her hideout in the Shasha area of Akure on October 5, with 29 bags of cannabis weighing 290kg.

The statement added that a separate raid on an apartment at Oba-Ile, Akure, on the same day led to the arrest of 42-year-old Tunde Adebayo, with 35 bags of cannabis weighing 351kg.

In Taraba State, NDLEA operatives, supported by soldiers, arrested Abdulrasheed Mohamed, 31, and Abubakar Saidu, 37, at Chanchanji village, Wukari Local Government Area, on Friday, October 9.

Babafemi said the suspects were found with 166,200 tablets of tramadol 225mg weighing 107kg.

In Kano State, a stop-and-search operation along the Kano-Maiduguri Road on October 9 led to the arrest of 32-year-old Yahaya Musa with 24,990 capsules of tramadol, 50,000 tablets of diazepam and 22,000 tablets of Exol-5.

In Kaduna State, operatives on patrol along the Zaria-Kaduna Expressway arrested 29-year-old Mohammed Musa with 31 jumbo bags and 775 blocks of skunk weighing a combined 1,027kg.

The agency also arrested Musbau Balogun Adekunle in Orile, Lagos, on Tuesday, October 6, with 32.51kg of skunk and 52.65kg of cannabis seeds, bringing the total seizure to 85.16kg.

In Plateau State, NDLEA operatives raided the residence of 45-year-old Christian Chukwudi Uju at Rukuba Road, Jos, on Thursday, October 8, recovering methamphetamine, firearms and ammunition.

According to the statement, the items seized included 47 grammes of methamphetamine, two pump-action rifles, one locally made gun, 199 live cartridges, five rounds of 7.62mm ammunition and one round of 9mm ammunition.

The agency said its War Against Drug Abuse sensitisation campaign also continued across the country, with lectures delivered to students and staff of schools in Oyo, Ebonyi, Niger, Kano, Lagos and Ogun states.

Among the institutions reached were Progressive Grammar School, Tede, Oyo State; Eghugo Technical College, Afikpo, Ebonyi State; Baptist High School, Lambata, Niger State; and Ipara Senior and Junior Community Secondary School, Badagry, Lagos State.

Commending officers involved in the operations, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), praised personnel of the Lagos, MMIA, PHIA, Taraba, Kano, Kaduna, Edo, Cross River, Ondo and Plateau Commands.

Babafemi said Marwa commended the officers “for their professionalism and intelligence-driven approach to the various successful operations” and urged them “to continue with the current balanced approach to the drug control efforts of the Agency.”

Metro News

NDLEA arrests 83-year-old ex-convict with Colorado, meth in Abia

Published

15 hours ago

October 11, 2026

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Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have rearrested an 83-year-old grandmother, Uloma Uchechi Sunday, with consignments of methamphetamine and Colorado.

The arrest comes barely a year after the grandmother was convicted of drug-related offences.

Uloma was first arrested on May 17, 2025, alongside her 32-year-old daughter, Chisom Uchechi, at the same residence.

This was disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday by the NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.

According to Babafemi, the octogenarian was arrested on Wednesday, October 7, at her residence in Ite-Uzo, Umuaguma, Obingwa Local Government Area of Abia State, with the substances allegedly tied around her waist with a wrapper.

Her arrest followed credible intelligence indicating that she operated a notorious drug joint allegedly harbouring criminal elements terrorising the community.

During her first arrest in May, operatives recovered 50 grammes of methamphetamine, 522 grammes of skunk, 260 grammes of fresh cannabis leaves and 12 grammes of tramadol from the Uloma and her daughter.

According to the statement, “Both pleaded guilty and were sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment or a fine of N200,000 each. They paid the fine and were released by the court”

The NDLEA spokesman alleged that the elderly woman returned to the illicit drug trade after her release.

“Undeterred, the notorious old woman promptly returned to the criminal trade and escalated the scale by setting up a drug joint where she harbours dangerous characters,” the statement added.

Metro News

Varsity lecturer dies after sex romp with prostitute in hotel room

Published

4 days ago

October 7, 2026

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A senior lecturer at the Edo State-owned Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, identified as Dr. Matthew Uwuigbe, has repeatedly died in a hotel room after an alleged sexual encounter with a 21-year-old commercial sex worker, identified as Angela Defa Jacob.

The incident, according to a report by Punch online, happened on Sunday at a hotel in the Mosco area of Ekpoma, Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State.

It was gathered that the lecturer had checked into the hotel with the sex worker and died moments after the romp.

Spokesperson for the Edo State Police Command, Eno Ikoedem, who confirmed the incident, said three persons have been arrested in connection with the incident.

She said, “On October 5, 2026, at about 8 pm, the command received a report that Matthew Uwuigbe, a lecturer at Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, had lodged at a hotel in Ekpoma and engaged the services of a 21-year-old sex worker, Angela Defa Jacob.

“He subsequently sent the woman to purchase water for him, and upon her return, she found him lying dead in the room.”

Ikoedem said the hotel owner, the manager and the sex worker are currently in custody while investigation continues. The corpse, she added, has been deposited at the Oriaifo Memorial Hospital mortuary.

The university’s Public Relations Officer, Otunba Mike Ade Aladenika, confirmed that Uwuigbe is a staff member of the institution, but said the incident occurred outside the campus.

“We are not denying that he is our staff, but whatever he did and what happened, it is his private life. The girl in question is not our student, and everything happened outside our institution,” he told the News outlet.