The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Cross River State Command, has arrested two suspected members of an armed syndicate accused of terrorising licensed miners and illegally taking over mining sites in Yakurr Local Council.

The State Commandant, CC Okarazu Chima, disclosed this yesterday during a press briefing at the Command Headquarters in Calabar, where he paraded the suspects.

According to him, NSCDC operatives stormed a mining site in Agoi Ibami, Yakurr, on August 19, 2026, following credible intelligence provided by members of the public.

The operation led to the arrest of Stephen Ibiang Francis, 34, and Gideon Emmanuel Okoi, 24, both natives of Nkpani village in Yakurr.

Two locally fabricated firearms and materials suspected to be charms were recovered from them.

Okarazu said preliminary investigations showed that the suspects were allegedly operating as armed enforcers who intimidated licensed miners and forced them out of the mining site before taking over their operations.

“Their modus operandi involves heavily arming themselves with locally fabricated firearms and charms and storming mining sites at Agoi Ibami. They use these weapons to systematically terrorise, intimidate and violently chase away licensed miners from the site.

Once the legal operators flee out of fear for their lives, these armed suspects and their cohorts take over the site to illegally mine and cart away precious solid minerals.”

He described the arrests as a breakthrough in the command’s ongoing operations against illegal mining and other activities threatening the state’s economy.

“Let this arrest serve as a definitive warning to all illegal miners and armed syndicates lurking in the forests of Cross River State. The era of intimidating legitimate investors and plundering our commonwealth is over,” he said.

Okarazu assured licensed miners that the command would provide the necessary security cover so they could operate peacefully and contribute to the state’s economic development.

He said the suspects remained in custody and had made useful statements, adding that investigations had been expanded to identify the manufacturers of the firearms and apprehend other fleeing members of the syndicate.

The commandant commended members of the public whose information led to the arrests and urged residents to continue providing useful intelligence to security agencies.