Ebonyi state government in collaboration with security agencies, on Wednesday arrested four Chinese and 16 others over illegal mining at Echara Unuphu, Abakaliki local government area of the state.
Addressing journalists at the mining site, Senior Special Adviser to Governor Dave Umahi on internal security, Kenneth Ugbala expressed shock on the activities of the miners.
He said this has created environmental hazard to the people of the area.
He noted that the future of the state is at stake because of the activities of these illegal miners.
He said, “I have the privileged of being in China and the Chinese don’t temper with their environment no matter what the problem may be.
“With the type of problem created here in the name of mining, it is possible that this tunnel they created must have passed underground to Government House and other places Ebonyi people are living.
“So, what do we expect? A total collapse! Where we are living, another road is under the ground in the name of mining, there is no society that this type of thing is seen.
“It is not as if they pay IGR and when you come to IGR, what type of IGR will even be more important than the future of our children and the entire people of the state.
“We will make sure that we fish-out all these people, as SSA on internal security, I am seeing this thing for the first time. It is threat to our environment,”He said.
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