…resumes operations despite revocation of licence, sealing of premises
A sand dredging and mining company, Ojibas Nigeria Limited, sealed for illegal mining activities by the Federal Government, on Thursday, resumed mining activities in the Ilate-Etido Community in Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State, investigations have revealed.
The company owned by a businessman from Osun State, Babatunde Tajudeen Abioye, had been sealed on July 9, 2024 by officers from the Mining Inspectorate Department, Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, Oke Mosan, Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
The operating license of the mining company dredging laterite and sand in the community had since been revoked by the Nigeria Mining Cadastral Office, Abuja, since August 12, 2022.
The revocation of the mining license was also published in the official gazette of NMCO, Abuja.
But the company was reported to have defied the ‘Stop Work Order’ by the Federal Government and resumed operations in the community on Thursday.
According to a resident of the Ilate-Etido Community, Sikiru Adelani, representatives of Ojibas Nigeria Limited, on Thursday morning, stormed the community with scores of hoodlums and reopened the sealed mining site.
Adelani added that the hoodlums armed with dangerous weapons cut the reflective tapes used by the Federal Mines Office to indicate sealing of the site.
He said he was shocked to witness a blatant defying of the FG’s order as exhibited by the company, calling on relevant authorities to stop the illegal and nefarious activities of the company.
Adelani, however, said that residents of the Ilate-Etido will not take laws into their hands, but will petition security agencies and other relevant agencies on the illegal and illicit activities of the company.
Reacting to the development, the Village Head of the community, Chief Shamsideen Ajibawo, expressed worries over the disregard of law and order by Ojibas Nigeria Limited.
He informed our correspondent that he was personally at the office of the Minister of Solid Minerals Development in Abuja, where the representatives of the company were told clearly that the decision of the FG to seal the illegal mining company is final.
Chief Ajibawo who lamented the serious environmental degradation the company’s activities had caused his community, however, declared that he would drag the company to court not only for non compliance, but for the negative environmental impacts Ilate-Etido Community has suffered as a result of illegal mining activities by the company.
“With the sealing of Ojibas, I felt a relief that my community will now be free from the shackles of the company that had continued to operate without a mining license since 2022.
“But, I was shocked to learn that the company returned to my community with thugs to resume operations. I just returned from Abuja where the representatives of the company were clearly told at the office of the Minister of Solid Minerals Development that the decision of the FG to seal the company is final. I have been on the issue for several months and written series of petitions calling the attention of relevant authorities to the activities of this illegal mining company.
“How can an individual be stronger than the government institutions? In my presence on Wednesday in Abuja, a representative of the company was boasting that he had paid for all the land in my community, hence, it is free to do what it likes.
“Information at my disposal revealed that the company has brought in land grabbers into the town. As we speak, one person has been shot by the hoodlums Ojibas Company brought. We cannot ascertain the situation of the victim. I want to make a save-our-soul call to the Ogun State government and the Federal Government on this matter. Before, my people’s means of livelihood had been devastated by the operations of the illegal mining activities of the company.
“Ilate-Etido Community is currently under siege by Ojibas Company who has vowed to eliminate anyone standing in his way. Though, my community will approach the court of law on this matter, but security agencies need to be alerted to the breakdown of law in my community”, Baale Ajibawo stated.
It will be recalled that a combined team of soldiers from the 35 Artillery Brigade, Alamala, Abeokuta and police operatives from the Zone 2 Command of the Nigeria Police Force, Onikan, Lagos, on May 28, 2024, stormed 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 whisked them to Onikan for interrogations.
Before then, scores of residents of the host community had staged a protest against the company, lamenting negative and destructive impacts of the illegal dredging of sand in the area, which according to them, had affected their farmlands, environment and their sources of living.
