Illegal miners operating at a site in the Korokpa village in Paikoro Local Government Area of Niger State have killed an operative of the Mining Marshal of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
The deceased officer, Assistant Superintendent of Corps II, Aminu Eshi was said to have been fatally shot in the head during the attack.
Confirming the development, spokesman of the Corps, Deputy Superintendent of Corps Abubakar Muti said the incident occurred on Wednesday, July 22, when operatives of the NSCDC Mining Marshal were on a routine operational patrol at an illegal mining site located in Korokpa Village and came under attack by suspected illegal miners and their collaborators.
Upon sighting the NSCDC personnel, the suspects launched a coordinated and unprovoked attack on the patrol team in an apparent attempt to resist lawful enforcement operations.
The operatives promptly requested reinforcement to contain the situation and restore order, during which the deceased officer was shot in the head.
Muti added that the injured officer was immediately evacuated from the scene and rushed to a nearby medical facility for urgent treatment but died in the process of receiving treatment.
While condemning the attack and commiserating with the deceased officer's family, Commandant Suberu Aniviye says, the command remains resolute in its constitutional mandate to protect the nation's critical national assets and infrastructure, including the solid minerals sector, and will not be deterred by criminal elements.
