Troops of the 12 Brigade, Nigerian Army, have seized a commercial bus loaded with illegal mining gear heading toward the Agbaja Forest in Lokoja Local Government Area, Kogi State.
The operation took place around 2:20 a.m. at the Jamata checkpoint, after security forces tracked the shipment moving all the way from Zamfara State.
According to intelligence sources, soldiers caught the suspects in the act as they were offloading the equipment from the bus into a boat bound for the forest. Upon sighting the approaching troops, the miners abandoned their stash and fled into the surrounding area.
Items recovered at the scene include the 14-seater commercial bus, three mining machines, three water pumps, six rolls of pressure pipes, four diesel engine parts, seven head pans, 15 shovels, and three sieving rugs.
The seized items have been handed over to the Senior Special Assistant to the Kogi State Governor for further action. Meanwhile, security forces are continuing investigations to identify those behind the shipment and track down the fleeing suspects.
