One hundred and nine illegal miners have been arrested in Nasarawa, the police in the middle belt state have said.

The criminals were arrested on February 19, 2024 in a joint operation by the police and a vigilante group in Nasarawa Eggon LGA of the state.

The Commissioner of Police (CP), Mr Umar Shehu Nadada, who paraded the suspects in Lafia on Tuesday, made this known in a statement on Tuesday.

He, however, said some of the criminals escaped during the raid on their hideouts.

He said “Yesterday, February 19, 2024, at about 0600 hours the anti-kidnapping unit of the command in collaboration with the vigilante group from Nasarawa Eggon LGA engaged in a massive raid of some criminals’ hideouts on the Alogani Hills in Nasarawa Eggon LGA.

“They raided from Mada station in the Wakama area with a view to arresting suspected kidnappers. Unfortunately, some of them ran away, but we were able to arrest 109 illegal miners. And we immediately took them into custody and we have commenced an investigation.”

He added that, “We will continue to raid all the illegal miners in the state with a view to ensuring that the state moves forward.”

City & Crime further reports that items recovered from the suspects included a Dane gun, cutlasses, knives and illegally mined solid minerals.

Reacting, the state’s Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Mr Kwanza Yakubu, said, “We commend the Nasarawa State command under the leadership of Umar Shehu Nadada that apprehended these illegal artisanal miners in their hundreds. This can only be achieved with the benefit of hindsight backed by strong local experience.”