Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has announced a successful operation leading to the arrest of individuals engaged in the illegal processing of mined minerals at a facility located in Idi-Ayunre, Oluyole Local Government Area of the state.
The governor disclosed this information via a post on his official X handle on Saturday.
The operation was conducted as part of the ongoing efforts to prevent incidents similar to the Bodija explosion, which resulted in casualties and property damage in January 2024.
According to a report from Oyo Affairs, a state news media outlet, Governor Makinde ordered the arrest of four individuals suspected of operating at the site without the necessary licenses approved by the government for such business operations.
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In his post, Makinde wrote, “In our efforts to prevent a recurrence of the Bodija Incident, we were at Idi-Ayunre, following a tip-off about a facility that was being used to process illegally mined minerals.
“I can report that those involved have been arrested and are in custody, and we are working to prosecute them.
“Our government has also taken over the facility pending the investigations and prosecution.
“We were able to apprehend the culprits because the government and citizens worked together on time to bust their operations.”
The governor further highlighted the challenge of extraditing Malians indicted in the Bodija explosion.
He wrote, “Let me take this opportunity to report that we are still trying to extradite the Malians indicted in the Bodija Incident who are on the run.
“We are having difficulties because Mali pulled out of ECOWAS. We will continue to deploy diplomatic means to ensure they are brought to book.
“Please continue to support our efforts to rid our State of illegal activities. “If you see something, say something, and the authorities will do something. 615 is the toll-free number to call when you notice any security breaches.”
The Bodija incident, which occurred on January 16, 2024, involved an explosion attributed to illegally stored explosives in a residential area. Residents of Adeyi Avenue in Bodija reportedly pointed fingers at Malian illegal miners for the explosion.
