According to Governor Seyi Makinde the operation to shut down the firm was part of ongoing efforts to prevent incidents like the Bodija explosion which resulted in casualties and property damage January 2024.
He said he ordered the arrest of four persons suspected to be operating at the site, noting that they operated against the approved licence secured from the government for business operations in the state.
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 which 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”, he emphasized, “has also taken over the facility pending the investigations and prosecution”.
The Bodija incident which took place on January 16, 2024 involved an explosion reported to be caused by illegally stored explosives in a residential area.
Residents of Adeyi Avenue in Bodija, where the incident occurred, were also reported to have blamed Malian illegal miners for the explosion that rocked the city that night.