The village head of Agoi Ibami is Yakurr LGA of Cross River State, Attah Charles Ikum Ujong has confirmed that there has been heavy shoot out between illegal miners and state security operatives.
He said the shooting began Monday afternoon, disclosing that the security men’s intent was to begin flushing the criminals out of the forests.
In the last three months, over five truckloads of strange men, reportedly from the Sahel region and northern parts of Nigeria disguised as miners.
Attah Charles Ujong told charmingpro exclusively “There are over 8000 of these men in my community.”
Last week, senior state security adviser, Major General Obono Ubi (rtd) at a stakeholders security summit in Ugep, asked the illegal miners to evacuate from all the forests in five days. This is even as 13 Brigade of the Nigerian Army had earlier dispatched many soldiers to the affected communities.
Ujong said, “Yesterday evening, there was heavy shooting between these illegal miners in my community, policemen and men of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence