IBUKUNOLUWA KING-OKUNEYE
The decaying body of Ogochukwu Elem, an All Progressive Congress leader in Ebonyi State has been recovered from a mining pit in the state
The remains of two others who were with him while his car plunged into the pit on Saturday evening were also pulled out from the pit
Their remains were brought off the pit by a crane provided by the state Ministry of Infrastructure and Local Divers on Monday.
The APC youth leader and the other people were on their way to Ikwo for an event when the car lost control and dived into the pit off the Abakaliki-Ikwo road.
This incident happened at the Enyigba community axis of the road in the Abakaliki Local Government Area of the state on Saturday evening.
All attempts to pull out the victims and the car failed on Saturday evening and Sunday. However, the Volkswagen Golf car in which the victims were driving was pulled from the pit on Monday.
Meanwhile, Governor Dave Umahi, who mourned Elem and the two others believed to be his police escorts, rebuked the activities of miners, who dig mining pits in the area, and are endangering the lives of the people and destroying the environment.
Umahi said on Monday, “We learnt of the unfortunate incident of an accident here on this road that was on Saturday. The accident is still a mystery to all of us, that was the APC Youth Leader with some policemen that were going for a function and the accident happened.
“We do not know the cause of the accident; we do not know what happened but it’s quite very mysterious how it happened that even the wages of the sand could not stop them and the small vehicle plunged into a pit that was dug over 20 years and not closed.
“It is very unfortunate and we have been fighting this issue of digging pits, harvesting lead, zinc and shippings without closing it back.
“We have been fighting with miners in Ebonyi State over this issue. The Chief of Staff is here who also doubles as the Commissioner for Solid Mineral.
“We are going to identify all the pits in Ebonyi whether it was dug for lead, for zinc, for shippings or any other mineral. We have to identify who did it and then the closing of these pits must commence latest by next week Monday.”
Umahi also sympathised with the families of the victims, the APC and the Nigeria Police Force over the loss.