Troops of the 176 Guards Battalion under Operation MESA have arrested 98 suspected illegal miners during a raid in Gwagwalada Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The operation, carried out on March 23 at about 5:55 p.m., followed intelligence reports of ongoing illegal mining activities in the area.
According to security analyst Zagazola Makama, the troops stormed the site and apprehended the suspects without resistance.
Items recovered during the raid included a vehicle, eight motorcycles, five pumping machines, 27 shovels, seven sledgehammers, 22 diggers, three head pans, five mining mats, and a sack of charcoal.
Authorities said the suspects 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 agencies to curb illegal mining and related activities in the FCT.
