The Kwara State Command of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) on Tuesday arrested two people suspected to be involved in illegal mining of granite at a site in the state.

The State Commandant of the Corps, Awili Pedro, who led the operation, condemned the illegal activities which he said had been affecting Nigeria's economy.

Illegal mining has been on the increase in Kwara State of late, a development that the NSCDC said it would have to bring under control.

Their first port of call and inspection was the Basin area in Ilorin where the Corps swooped on the people extracting sands from a river.

At the sight of the security operatives, the illegal miners ran into a nearby bush but left behind their working tools which were carried away by the Civil Defence Corps.

Economic Sabotage

From Ilorin, the capital of Kwara State, the team moved to Oyun Local Government Area and Aperun village in particular, where the convoy drove for nearly one hour in the forest before getting to the illegal granite site.

Again the workers on sighting the NSCDC operatives flee but they were pursued to a nearby bush where two of them were apprehended. The nearby surrounding showed the cooking utensils being used by the illegal miners and the food sellers who were unobvious of the happenings, as the two men arrested were brought out from the bush.

Briefing reporters on the illegal activities of the miners, the NSCDC Commandant described the event as economic sabotage. He wondered how people could use dynamite to illegally blow the granite without paying to relevant authorities.

Mr Pedro said the two persons arrested would be investigated and charged if found culpable. One of the two suspects, who spoke in Hausa, said they were hired by one woman (Alhaja) from a nearby village and being paid 5,000 Naira daily.