On July 24, two members of the National Park Service’s staff perished during a joint patrol operation to stop illegal mining at the Abata-Abu axis of the Old Oyo National Park.

This information can be found in a statement made on Wednesday by Yakubu Zull, the NPS Conservator-General’s (CG) Special Assistant on Media and Conservator of Parks.

“The late officers, Deputy Conservator of Parks, Peter Amhagbor and Chief Park Inspector, Adedokun Adeola were killed by the illegal miners who initially overwhelmed the patrol team of the late officers and resisted arrest.

“However, the miners were eventually overpowered when the patrol team received reinforcement from the nearest patrol station of the park and arrested 37 of the miners.

“The 37 illegal miners arrested who were suspected to be members of armed bandits from Niger and Zamfara had since been handed over to the Police in Ibadan by the Park Authority,” Mr Zull said.

He claimed that following further investigation, the Police had filed homicide charges against the miners at an Ibadan Family Court.

“The late officers were buried according to Christian rites in their home towns on separate dates of July, 27, 2023 and  Aug. 3, 2023 while the Judge has adjourned the case till Dec. 14, 2023.

“The miners were thereafter taken to the Nigerian Correctional Centre in Ibadan,” Zull added.

In related news, the statement noted that on July 19, a magistrate court in the Cross River town of Akamkpa sentenced 14 miners to six months in prison for illegal mining and other associated offences committed inside the Cross River National Park.

According to Mr. Zull, Judge Okokon Essien of the Akmkpa Magistrate Court found the 14 miners guilty of illegally entering the park and mining without a permit after they pleaded guilty to the charges.

He claimed that the judge had stated during the judgment’s delivery that the miners’ activity in the park was against the rules of the service.

Mr Zull said the judge added that these violations left the Court with no option than to jail each of the miners for six months or fine each of them N200,000 as provided by the Service’s law.

“The Illegal miners were caught in the act at Ifumpa axis of the Park and arrested by a combined team of rangers of Cross River National Park.

“After passing the judgment, all the convicted miners were taken to the Correctional Service Centre in Calabar to serve their jail terms having failed to pay their fines,”  he said.

Illegal mining is one of the main issues the parks in Nigeria are facing, according to Mr. Zull, who quoted Dr. Ibrahim Goni, the CG of NPS.

“However, the CG said that in spite of the magnitude of these challenges, the parks are still steadfast in their resolve to protect the entity of their parks no matter the consequences.

“The CG used the moment to salute the rangers for their commitment and loyalty to the service and their country.

“He also condoled with the families of those that either died or lost one thing or the other in the course of protecting the parks while calling on other rangers not to be deterred by the challenges on ground,” he said.

According to Mr. Zull, the CG claims that the service will look into the incident’s circumstances in order to ensure that justice is served.

He said the CG called on all stakeholders in and beyond Nigeria to join the service in clearing the parks of illegal miners and other wildlife miscreants so as to allow the service achieve its purpose of establishment for national development.