By Daniel Edu
Nigeria’s Security and Civil Defence Corps in Gombe State have thwarted a planned same-sex wedding, leading to the arrest of 76 individuals involved.
The State’s Public Relations Officer, Buhari Sa’ad, announced this development while presenting the suspects to the media at the Gombe command’s headquarters on behalf of Commandant Mohammed Muazu.
Out of the 76 suspects apprehended, 59 are males, with 21 admitting to being homosexuals, and 17 females were also taken into custody at the scene.
According to Sa’ad, “They were apprehended at Duwa Plaza along the Bauchi-Gombe Expressway while hosting a homosexual birthday celebration and planning a same-sex wedding before our officers intervened.”
“The 59 males apprehended included 21 who voluntarily confessed to being homosexuals, and 17 females were detained. They will be brought to court to face charges related to this social offense, which is prohibited in Gombe State.”
In another operation, the NSCDC arrested three individuals involved in unauthorized mining activities in the Akko Local Government Area of the state.
They were apprehended at a site in the Gamawa community while operating without proper clearance, which was allegedly granted by the Federal Government.
Confirming this, the NSCDC State Commandant, Muazu, described the arrest as a significant achievement, saying, “My team acted on a tip-off from concerned citizens. While they were excavating with their machinery, we raided the site, and surprisingly, they claimed ownership and a license. However, upon inspection, we discovered that the authorization they held was for Laterite sand, which they had abandoned in favor of coal mining.”
After reporting the incident to the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development and the State Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, the NSCDC ordered the temporary suspension of activities at the site until proper authorization is obtained from the appropriate authorities.
The State Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Sanusi Pindiga, also announced the suspension of all mining operations in the state and urged all miners to appear before the ministry for screening and clearance.
Pindiga emphasized that the decision was taken in light of the illegal mining site discovered by the NSCDC to ensure that miners in the state are screened and authorized by the ministry. “Legitimate miners should always consult the relevant authorities before commencing operations. We want to prevent situations where mining activities jeopardize the well-being of our people, their farmlands, and communities,” he stated.
