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Anambra sand mining ban threatening 8,500 jobs, state revenue – Miners
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Unless the Anambra State Government urgently rescinds its decision, there are fears that over 8,500 river sand miners and their workers may have been displaced, while the state loses over N21 million weekly, following the banning of sand mining and sealing of all sandpits by the state government.
South-East PUNCH findings also showed that no fewer than 500 tipper drivers in Anambra State, working with river sand miners in the state, have transferred their services to other neighbouring states where sand is mined, following the Anambra State government’s ban on river sand mining activities.
The Anambra State government, had through a public notice, jointly signed by the Commissioner for Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Anthony Ifeanya; Commissioner for Environment, Dr Felix Odimegwu; Managing Director, Anambra State Solid Mineral Development Company Limited, Prof. Charles Ofoegbu, and Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Prof Sylvia Chika Ifemeje, directed sand miners in the state to stop all sand mining activities, pending their clearance by the Ministry of Petroleum and Minerals Resources and Ministry of Environment.
The notice also directed all the sand miners to register with the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, together with their dredging/mining equipment.
The government claimed in the public notice that the sand miners are involved in illegal operations and other sundry offences that harm their host communities’ environment.
However, the sand miners denied and dismissed all the allegations levelled against them by the state government as not holding water, saying that all their operations and activities were approved and operational licenses issued to them.
They insisted that their activities were supervised daily by the Federal Ministry of Environment and Solid Minerals Development, together with the National Inland Waterway Authority.
They rather accused the state government of making frantic efforts since 2015 without success to take control of the Federal Government’s duty over them.
The sand miners also presented to journalists all their operational licenses and receipts of all the payments they made to the Federal Ministry of Environment and Solid Minerals Development, and NIWA which authorised their sand mining activities.
Addressing journalists through their Chairman, Board of Trustees, Sir Christopher Mbaegbu, during their meeting in Onitsha, members of the Sand Miners Association of Anambra State, said they couldn’t have been operating in the state without approval from the Federal Ministry of Environment and Solid Minerals Development, and NIWA.
Mbaegbu described the ‘illegal operation’ allegation against them as an attempt to divert attention, intimidate and blackmail them, to take their job or cow them into submission by the state authorities for extortion of money from them.
He described the banning of all sand mining activities in the state and the sealing of their sand pits as counterproductive action that benefits neither the state government nor the sand miners.
He said, “We are losing money, the state government is also losing millions of naira, it should be getting from us on a daily and weekly basis to the governments of neighbouring states, where sand mining activities are ongoing.
“We pay the Anambra State government N1,000 for every six cubics of tipper loaded with sand, while the state also gets N4,000 from each 10 tyres tipper that lifts sand in the state. More than 3,000 trips of sand are lifted daily from the sealed sand pits and beaches and the state is currently losing over N21 million per week for the ban it placed on sand mining and sealing of our sand pits in the state.
“The action of the Ministry of Petroleum and Minerals Resources and Ministry of Environment, banning our activities amounts to working against the government of Anambra State. We, therefore, urge Governor Charles Soludo to lift the ban without further delay, as it is not only against us and the state government but also has a chain reaction effect of halting all building activities by individuals and groups in the state.
He added, “Traders of building materials are also suffering a decline in their sales due to the halt in building construction because of the ban placed on sand mining activities in the state.
“We think that if the state government wants us to assist in any way, which we have been doing through paying taxes, levies and other government-imposed duties, the wise step is not banning our activities. We can be operating while negotiating with the government on areas to contribute and assist the state.
“Banning our activities when we have two Federal Government agencies that supervised our activities, and at the same time calling us for negotiation and giving us conditions to meet before we could be allowed to operate in the state is infringing on our federal government given right. It is also placing the cart before the horse, the governor should call those behind this action to order.”
It was also gathered that the state government has given the sand miners conditions for clearance before they can operate, such conditions include registration with the state government through the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Jerome Udoji Secretariat Complex Phase II, Awka.
Other conditions are submission of completed form to the Mining Reforms Committee Desk at the Government House Awka, providing registered operational office in Anambra; evidence of company registration (CAC) documents; documented operation staff in Anambra State; valid title (Small Scale Mining Lease) or Mining Lease Quarry Lease, (Sand Quarry Lease) Title Grant; evidence of lease application to the Nigerian Mining Cadastra Office Abuja (where applicable).
They are also to provide detailed geological reports with reserve estimation; mine design and production rate; EIA or Environmental Audit Report and EMP; and community development agreement; evidence of implementation of CDA and evidence of payment of mineral royalties to the Federal Government from where the state is paid 13 per cent derivation fund, as other requirements to meet before they would be allowed to operate in the state.
Earlier, the sand miners had through their lawyer, Ben Chuks Udoh, written to the Minister of Environment and Solid Minerals Development in Abuja, demanding clarification.
Udoh’s letter is also seeking clarification on whether there is any law that has divested the ministry of her authority in dealing with solid minerals development and the granting of mining leases, just as to know, following the directive of the Anambra State government to sand miners in the state, will in any way undermine the authority and position of the Federal Ministry of Environment and Solid Mineral Development.
The letter also wanted clarification on whether the Federal Ministry of Environmental and Solid Mineral Development was put on notice by the Anambra State government in connection with the letter/circular from the Anambra State Ministry of Information, banning all sand mining activities in the state.
Udoh also wanted to know the official position of the Federal Ministry of Environment and Solid Mineral Development in connection with the directive of the Anambra State government.
He reminded the minister that the Anambra State government by its action deprived and denied the sand miners the capacity to be able to pay royalties due payable to the Federal Government, just as the ability to take care of their families in the face of economic realities.
The sand miners on their part wrote to the Managing Director of the National Inland Waterway Authority, complaining that the state government had entered into the Right of Way Permit it gave them, and kept harassing them through arrests of their members and have started collecting tolls on the Right of Way NIWA gave them, claiming that it is state land and not Federal Government’s land.
The letter which was signed by the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Sand Miners Association of Anambra State, Sir Christopher Mbaegbu and the Secretary, Obiora Chukwuma, was copied to the NIWA Area Manager, the three senators representing Anambra state, the members representing Onitsha North/South federal constituency and his Ogbaru counterpart, also questioned if the Right of Way given to sand miners in the state still falls within the authority of NIWA, which is within the control of the Federal government.
The letter further added, “It is on this note that we have to notify you that the very Right of Way permit that NIWA has continually been issuing to us and our members have completely been taken over by the Anambra State government and we urged NIWA to act fast.
“We wish to categorically state that the allegation that we are causing erosion is not true because we operate with River Craft Boat and Dredgers. The two pieces of equipment are movable, we can move from Anambra to Delta and Kogi State to bring sand into Anambra State. So the claim that our activities were causing erosion is a lie from the pit of hell.
“Our problem started on March 11, 2024, when Onitsha South Local Government Transition Chairman, Mr Emeka Orji, came with men of Operation Clean and Healthy Anambra State, OCHA Brigade, invaded Ose Ogbe Ijaw sand dumping site along Niger Street and after that, they continued invasion of other sites and then started destruction of the beaches and machines, claiming to be acting on the instruction of the governor.
“We have made several efforts to meet the governor through written applications and direct contacts but we have not been allowed to see him, All efforts we made to see the governor were blocked.
“We are using this medium to appeal to Governor Soludo to lift the ban on sand mining in the state and call the river sand miners to a meeting. We are helping the state to stop crime in the state with thousands of unemployed youth who have been removed from the streets. Returning them to the streets with this ban on our activities is dangerous to the state.”
Sky watchers across Africa and other parts of the world are expected to witness a partial lunar eclipse on Friday, according to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
The phenomenon, popularly known as a “blood moon,” will occur as the Moon passes through the Earth’s shadow, creating a striking reddish appearance during the eclipse.
NASA said the event will be visible in parts of the Americas, Europe, Africa and Western Asia between August 27 and 28, 2026.
According to the space agency, the eclipse will begin at 9:23pm Eastern Time when the Moon enters the outer region of the Earth’s shadow.
By 10:33pm ET, the Earth’s darker shadow will begin moving across the lunar surface, producing the appearance of a section of the Moon being gradually covered.
The eclipse is expected to reach its peak at about 12:12am ET, when more than 96 per cent of the Moon will be covered by the Earth’s shadow.
The celestial event will then gradually recede, with the Moon expected to completely leave the outer edge of the Earth’s shadow at about 3:01am ET.
NASA, in a notice published on its website, listed the August 27–28 event as a partial eclipse visible across the Americas, Europe, Africa and Western Asia.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has revealed the identities of some civil servants who allegedly helped Adeniyi Adeyemi, the director-general of the now-disowned Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), to obtain government approvals and gain access to official financial and administrative systems.
This was contained in the ICPC interim investigation report on the PFIPC saga.
The findings by the ICPC revealed that Adeyemi was able to penetrate government structures through the help of forged documents and officials in several government institutions who processed its requests and facilitated approvals despite gaps in the required procedures.
Adeyemi began seeking formal recognition within government structures in November 2024 when he approached the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF) for an administrative code, self-accounting status and approval to open accounts with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), supporting the applications with purported official documents, including an appointment letter, an establishment instrument, and a letter on State House letterhead allegedly signed by one Akanbi Adewale.Geographic Reference
However, ICPC investigators found that Akanbi Adewale did not exist. Forensic examination also showed that the letter attributed to him was signed by Adeyemi.
Despite these irregularities, the documents were used to process the applications.
According to Premium Times, the investigation probes the critical roles played by three civil servants in securing an authorised establishment and recruitment waiver for the PFIPC.Local News
The civil servants include Rose Achem, senior administrative officer to the director-general of the Budget Office of the Federation; Patricia Akhigbe, an assistant director in the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning; and Mimi Abu, director of organisation design and development at the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF).
The findings revealed that Achem introduced Akhigbe to Abu as the head of human resources of the PFIPC, even though Akhigbe was an assistant director in the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning.
The ICPC found that Achem, Akhigbe and Abu subsequently facilitated the purported council’s application for authorised establishment and recruitment waiver through the OHCSF.
Adeyemi, it was found, paid Akhigbe 500,000 naira during Easter in 2025. The payment was described in the evidence as a “thank you for your support.”
According to the anti-corruption agency, the authorised establishment was granted on the same day the three officials met.
No evidence existed that the PFIPC had formally applied for an authorised establishment and recruitment waiver. Instead, the three government officials proceeded with the approvals outside the required process.
The ICPC examined Abu’s role because her department is responsible for authorised establishment, manpower requirements and recruitment waivers for federal government organisations.
It said Abu oversees four units responsible for establishment and workforce planning, organisation design, job design and development, and rules and regulations.
The investigation found that Achem and Akhigbe met Abu on behalf of the PFIPC and presented what investigators described as forged establishment instruments and a forged appointment letter for Adeyemi.
Speaking to investigators, Abu reportedly described the controversial appointment letter, said to have been issued by the Chief of Staff to the President, as an “aberration”.Executive Branch
She added that she could not recall another government organisation presenting an appointment letter signed by the Chief of Staff.
The ICPC also examined the role of an official responsible for office allocation within the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) named Aminu Abdullahi.
According to the ICPC findings, Abdullahi was responsible for coordinating the allocation of offices to political appointees within the OSGF.
Requests for office allocation are submitted to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, processed through the Permanent Secretary, General Services Office, and subsequently referred to the Director, General Services, for necessary action.
It was gathered that a deputy director in General Services, Ibrahim Abdulkadir introduced Abdullahi to Adeyemi in March 2025 to guide the PFIPC ‘DG’ through the process of obtaining office accommodation at the Federal Secretariat after a request made on behalf of the PFIPC to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had not produced the expected result.
Investigators found that Abdullahi allocated offices previously occupied by the former Chief Economic Adviser to the President, Doyin Salami, at the Federal Secretariat Phase III for temporary use by the PFIPC without written approval.
An analysis of Abdullahi’s bank statement by Investigators showed that he received 3.25 million naira from Adeyemi in three tranches between March and November 2025.
Hon. Saba Yisa Gideon, a member of the Kwara State House of Assembly representing Edu State Constituency, has resigned his membership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) with immediate effect.
Gideon, who is also the Chairman of the House Committee on Livestock, announced his resignation in a letter dated August 19, 2026, addressed to the APC Ward Chairman of Tsaragi Ward 3 in Edu Local Government Area of Kwara State.
In the letter titled “Resignation of Membership of the All Progressives Congress (APC),” the lawmaker said his decision followed careful reflection and consultations with his constituents and key stakeholders.
He cited concerns over recent developments within the party, particularly issues relating to internal democracy, fairness and inclusiveness.
“I hereby formally resign my membership of the All Progressives Congress (APC), effective immediately,” Gideon stated in the letter.
He added, “This decision follows careful reflection and consultations with my constituents and key stakeholders. Recent developments within the Party, particularly concerning internal democracy, fairness, and inclusiveness, have led me to take this decision.”
The lawmaker, however, pledged to remain focused on his responsibilities to the people of his constituency, stressing that his resignation from the APC would not affect his commitment to public service.
“I remain committed to serving the people of Edu State Constituency, Kwara State, and Nigeria with integrity, dedication, and accountability,” he said.
Gideon also expressed appreciation for the opportunity to serve under the platform of the APC and for the support he received during his membership of the party.
“Thank you for the opportunity to serve and for the support received during my membership of the Party,” he stated.
On December 22, 2025, SaharaReporters reported that the Kwara State House of Assembly was embroiled in fresh controversy after suspending Gideon, the lawmaker representing Edu Local Government Area, over allegations that he leaked an audio recording to Ambassador Yahaya Seriki, a businessman and an APC chieftain with noted governorship ambitions.
Although the Assembly officially cited “unparliamentary conduct” as the basis for Gideon’s suspension, multiple sources in the House told SaharaReporters that the action was politically motivated and tied to deepening internal power struggles ahead of the 2027 elections.
Seriki, an APC chieftain widely believed to be nursing a governorship ambition, is reportedly at loggerheads with the Speaker of the House, Salihu Yakubu Danladi, whose own governorship aspiration has become an open secret in Ilorin political circles.
According to sources, the controversy erupted after Hon. Owolabi Rasaq, representing Share/Oke-Ode constituency, accused Gideon on the floor of the House of leaking sensitive legislative deliberations to Seriki.
One source explained that the alleged leak concerned a proposed motion seeking the revocation of Seriki’s mining licences in Kwara State, an issue said to have sparked intense behind-the-scenes lobbying and divisions within the Assembly.
The allegation reportedly began to unravel during plenary, with Owolabi himself admitting that he did not know who actually leaked the information.
Despite this admission, lawmakers sympathetic to the House leadership allegedly pressed ahead with calls for Gideon’s sanction, arguing that his close relationship with Seriki made him the “most likely” source of the leak.
Sources say the issue escalated from legislative disagreement to personal confrontation after an audio recording obtained by SaharaReporters captured a tense exchange between Speaker Salihu Yakubu Danladi and the suspended lawmaker.
In the leaked audio, the Speaker is heard warning Gideon to “play soft” and accusing him of talking too much.
Although the Speaker denied directly asking Gideon to support his alleged governorship ambition, the lengthy audio monologue repeatedly references political structures, party control, and loyalty.
Partial lunar eclipse expected to light up skies on Friday
Finally Ibrahim Gusau gives reasons for his resignation as NFF President
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