The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, in Ebonyi State has given illegal miners operating across the state a September deadline to regularise their activities or face arrest and prosecution.
The State Commandant, Commander Francis Nnadi, disclosed this in Abakaliki, saying the Command’s security interventions were already yielding results, with several offenders arrested and prosecuted.
Nnadi warned that the Corps would intensify enforcement against unauthorised mining and other activities capable of threatening public safety and degrading the environment.
He stressed that mining operators must obtain the necessary licences and approvals, while urging them to engage host communities and ensure that legitimate benefits from mining activities reach the affected communities.
The Commandant also raised concerns over the abandonment of excavated mining sites, warning that open pits could endanger residents and worsen erosion and other forms of environmental degradation.
He said the NSCDC was working with the Ebonyi State Ministry of Solid Minerals Development to strengthen regulatory enforcement and ensure compliance with approved safety standards.
On community security, Nnadi disclosed that more than 1,000 residents had been enrolled in the Corps’ “Civil Defence Community” initiative, designed to provide a structured channel for residents, including farmers, hunters and people in remote communities, to share security information.
According to him, intelligence from the initiative had contributed to several arrests, while plans were underway to expand and digitise the platform to improve the speed of response to security threats.
He also highlighted the “Operation Know Your Neighbour” initiative, urging residents, landlords and community leaders to pay closer attention to the identities and activities of people within their neighbourhoods.
On election security, the NSCDC boss said the Command would commence a three-month in-house training programme for personnel towards the end of September.
He said the training would focus on tactical competence, discipline, professionalism, operational coordination and adherence to rules of engagement ahead of future electoral assignments.
Nnadi further disclosed that the Command had expanded its Safe School Initiative across Ebonyi’s three senatorial zones, with measures including school risk profiling, security awareness and training for pupils, teachers and administrators.
He said the Corps had also established a female special force and quick-response capacity to support emergency interventions and security operations across the state.
The Commandant called for sustained cooperation among security agencies, traditional and religious institutions, communities, civil society organisations, corporate bodies and the media in strengthening public safety across Ebonyi State.
