The Anambra State Government, through its Operation Clean and Healthy Anambra (OCHA) Brigade, has shut down an illegal sand mining site at the Onitsha end of the River Niger Bridge Head. This action is part of an enforcement and compliance drive aimed at curbing illegal mining and touting activities in the area.
Leading the operation, OCHA Brigade Managing Director, Comrade Celestine Anere, expressed serious concern over the unauthorized sand dredging. He noted that such activities pose significant environmental risks to the state. Anere revealed that the operators had ignored repeated requests to provide environmental impact assessments and other required government documentation, leaving the state with no choice but to close the site.
Anere urged potential operators to obtain the necessary permits from relevant ministries, departments, and agencies. He also emphasized the Brigade’s commitment to arresting violators until compliance is achieved.
Illegal mining activities are responsible for over 60% of erosion and landslide cases in Anambra State, leading to significant property loss across communities. This poses a major challenge to Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s efforts to create a livable, healthy, and prosperous homeland.
