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From Zara Nwachinemere, Abakaliki
The decomposing bodies of the All Progressives Congress, (APC) Ebonyi State chapter Youth Leader, Ogochukwu Elem, and two others have been recovered from a mining pit at Enyigba axis of Ikwo road in Abakaliki local government area, where their vehicle reportedly plunged into on Saturday.
Also recovered was the Volwagen Golf car which the deceased were driving in when the accident happened.
The incident took place along Abakaliki-Ikwo road. And efforts to recover the dead bodies on Saturday and Sunday were futile.
The deceased were recovered from the pit by combined efforts of a crane from the state ministry of infrastructure and local divers on Monday, two days after the accident.
They were said to be on their way to Ikwo for a function when the car skidded off the road and plunged into the pit.
Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi state who was on ground during the rescue operations, condemned the reckless activities of miners in the area.
Umahi assured that he will set up a committee to look into the issue warning that his administration will no longer tolerate such practice from miners in the state.
He said: “We learnt of the unfortunate incident of an accident here on this road that was on Saturday. The accident is still a mystery to all of us, that was the APC Youth Leader with some policemen that were going for a function and the accident happened”.
“We do not know the cause of the accident, we do not know what happened but it’s quite very mysterious how it happened that even the wages of the sand could not stop them and the small vehicle plunged into a pit that was dug over 20 years and not closed.
“It is very unfortunate and we have been fighting this issue of digging pits, harvesting lead, zinc and shippings without closing it back”.
“We have been fighting with miners in Ebonyi state over this issue. And so, the Chief of Staff is here who also doubles as the Commissioner for Solid Mineral”.
“We are going to identify all the pits in Ebonyi state whether it was dug for lead, for zinc, for shippings or any other mineral in Ebonyi state. we have to identify who did it and then the closing of these pits must commence latest by next week Monday”.
