Ebonyi Community Petitions NSCDC Over Alleged Illegal Mining, Demands ₦3bn Compensation

Residents of Amalokpa Amaonye Village in Ishiagu, Ivo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State have petitioned the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), alleging illegal mining activities, destruction of farmlands and insecurity in the community, while demanding ₦3 billion in compensation for the alleged losses.

The petition, submitted by the Amalokpa Development Association (ADA), which represents residents and Ekubara landowners, accused Chief Henry Ahanotu, also known as Greenfield Metals Limited, of illegally mining lead and zinc deposits on the community's ancestral land without the consent of landowners.

In the petition dated July 25, 2026, and addressed to the Commandant General of the NSCDC through the Commandant of the Mining Marshal, the association alleged that the company secured mining coordinates over the disputed land without community approval. 

It further claimed that the company had adopted a pattern of acquiring mining fields from rural communities and leasing them to foreign mining firms.

The community further alleged that the disputed mining licences expired in 2024 and were not renewed following the intervention of the Federal Ministry of Mines and Solid Mineral Development. 

However, it claimed that Chief Ahanotu and Greenfield Metals Limited later returned to the site and resumed mining activities, resulting in the destruction of economic trees, cassava farms, rice fields and other crops estimated to be worth over ₦3 billion.

According to the petition, tensions escalated on September 27, 2025, when armed hoodlums allegedly invaded a community meeting convened to deliberate on the selection of a mining partner. 

The association alleged that several residents sustained injuries during the attack, while houses, motorcycles, windows, doors and other personal property were vandalised.

The petition also claimed that residents have since been living in fear due to repeated attacks by armed men, alleging assaults on women and children and the displacement of many adult males from the community, leaving Amalokpa Amaonye largely deserted.

The association urged the NSCDC to launch a comprehensive investigation into the allegations and immediately halt all mining activities on the disputed land pending the outcome of the investigation.

It also demanded an unconditional public apology from Chief Henry Ahanotu and Greenfield Metals Limited to be published in at least two national newspapers or aired on a recognised television station, in addition to the payment of ₦3 billion as compensation for the alleged destruction of farmlands and other properties.

Copies of the petition were forwarded to the Minister of Mines and Solid Mineral Development, the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), the Governor of Ebonyi State, and the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.

As of the time of filing this report, neither Chief Henry Ahanotu nor Greenfield Metals Limited had publicly responded to the allegations contained in the petition.