Troops of the 176 Guards Battalion under Operation MESA have arrested 98 suspected illegal miners during a coordinated raid in the Gwagwalada Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory.
This was disclosed in a post shared on X by security analyst Zagagola Magama on Thursday.
According to the post, the operation was conducted after receiving credible intelligence indicating ongoing illegal mining activities in the area.
Acting swiftly on the information, the troops stormed the site and apprehended the suspects without any resistance.
During the raid, a range of mining equipment and tools was recovered.
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These include one vehicle, eight motorcycles, five pumping machines, 27 shovels, seven sledgehammers, 22 diggers, three head pans, five mining mats, and a sack of charcoal.
It was gathered that the arrested individuals have been handed over to the Guards Brigade Provost Group for further investigation and possible prosecution.
The operation is part of ongoing efforts by security forces to clamp down on illegal mining activities, which authorities say pose significant environmental, economic, and security risks.