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by ANE Travels
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While outside Ebonyi state, we heard lots of people say there is no profitable company in Ebonyi. However, during our tour in the state, we decided to walk around the shores of the land to behold not only its beautiful infrastructures, but also her natural deposits (natural resources). Enugu have coals, what does Ebonyi state has? You’d be surprised to found out with us that Ebonyi state is blessed with lots of mineral deposits. Granite, salt, limestone, zinc, lead amongst others.
Although the state is underlain by poorly bedded shales of the Asu River Group, the lower Benue trough state is endowed with generational wealth of natural deposits. But in this case, the wealth isn’t in the state’s control as many had unknowingly(ignorantly) sold their land with these natural deposits to foreigners who are now milking as many resources possible out of their land.
So, journey with us as we take you through a lead mining site by Royal Salt company in Ikwo, Ebonyi State (Abakaliki) – that mines zinc and lead. A company under First Patriot Nigeria Ltd owned by the Indians. Watch ANE Travels’ video documentary about the Secret Wealth Mining pit in Ebonyi state here.
Watch Below:
Royal Salt company mines zinc & lead.
From our researches, Royal Salt reportedly generates about 100,000 – 500,000 dollars annually.
HOW TO LOCATE ROYAL SALT IN IKWO?
If you are coming from anywhere from outside (or inside the state), tell your driver to alight you at Spera N’ Deo junction (or flyover), then make a turn as if you are going to Nkaliki (in Abakaliki). Thereafter, enter another transport (Keke) going to Ikwo junction, from there, another transport going to Royal Salt (FUNAI road). Meanwhile, you can just enter a direct transport from Spera N’ Deo junction to the place.
Royal Salt company is located at kilometer 10, Ikwo Road Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, Nigeria. Close to AE-FUNAI (Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu- Alike, Ikwo).
With workers who works on shifts to ensure the mining circles around 24 hours, the pit so far has been dug to about 100m from the ground level.
Quick one: If you fall inside, that’s the end.
In August 15, 2021, The Sun Newspaper reported a news of a commercial bus that fell inside the pit and claimed lives of passengers in the vehicle.
So while at the mining site, we tried to enter the pit but couldn’t. This because rain had fell the previous day before the visitation, thereby making the pathway steep and slippery. So we couldn’t cover much area inside the pit.
The site engineers couldn’t mine also because of the water inside the pit. So they connected pipes to extract the water off the mining site.
HOW DID THE PIT BECAME THIS BIG?
When drilling to mine and they encounter a rock layer, they would then resort to blasting. This process involves setting bombs inside the mining site.
However, blasting can’t be done without reaching out the law enforcement agency for approval and collection of the bombs for the blasting.
HOW IS IT DONE?
After securing an approval from the law enforcement agency, the agency would then allocate personnels who are specialist in anything related to explosives and its controls. They are referred to as Explosive Ordinance Disposal Command (EOD).
The EOD would proceed to the mining site with designated officers who burries the explosives for blasting.
Below is the conversation between us and the correspondent;
[Anonymous Correspondent]: If we want to blast, we will go to neighbouring house here and tell them that we want to blast.
Let nobody be outside, in case stone may move from here and hit somebody there, the person will not be alive.
Even at the road there, we will block everywhere, no movement until they blast.
[Anonymous Correspondent]: And when they blast, anywhere you dey, it’ll shake everywhere. That’s why when you look at some buildings, it will break some buildings. They will pay and go and repair the building.
[Anonymous Correspondent]: If you look at that zinc. You’ll see it’s a new zinc and is not the same colour with the old one, cos this thing (rock layer) flew from here and destroy that eh… That’s why they call it bomb.
[Anonymous Correspondent]: And, when the explosion explodes like this, you’ll hear booooom! [explosion sound] … everywhere. Even we that is on the road…
ANE Travels Team: But there won’t be anybody here when they want to blast, bah?
[Anonymous Correspondent]: Ehn, you will… Everybody will shift. The thing is that when they have connected it, one person will be there, others, everybody will vacate.
ANE Travels Team: Hope it’s not dangerous for the one person that’s there? [laughs]
[Anonymous Correspondent]: Ehn, you know, the person knows how to hide nau. He would have prepare himself where to hide.
Is Ebonyi State govt the controller of this mining site?
No.
OUR DISCOVERY
We learnt that the site was sold to the company a very long time ago unknown to the land owners that they sold a lifetime treasure for petty revenue.
Although there have been series of protest by the community leaders demanding for renegotiation of fresh deal but no positive outcome just yet. Dailypost Nigeria on September 23, 2020, also reported how community leaders demanded for 300 million naira for compensation over alleged land pollution by the company.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs)
About Royal Salt
Royal Salt Company Basic Information
– Company Name: Royal Salt Mining Company Abakaliki
– Location: Abakaliki
– Business Type: Distributor/Wholesaler
– Year Established: 2012
– Annual Revenue: USD 200,000 – 1,000,000
– Selling Categories: Minerals & Metallurgy > Zinc
– Keyword: zinc, lead, raw, ore
Royal Salt Contact Information
– Address: kilometer 10, Ikwo Road Abakaliki Abakaliki, Ebonyi
– Country/Region: Nigeria
– Phone: 234 – 816 – 1214761
– Fax: 234 – 816 – 1214761
About Ebonyi State
Ebonyi State (Igbo: Ȯra Ebonyi) is a state in the South-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria, bordered to the north and northeast by Benue State, Enugu State to the west, Cross River State to the east and southeast, and Abia State to the southwest. Named for the Abonyi (Aboine) River—a large part of which is in the state’s south—Ebonyi State was formed from parts of Abia and Enugu state in 1996 and has its capital as Abakaliki.
One of the smallest states of Nigeria, Ebonyi is the 33rd largest in area and 29th most populous with an estimated population of nearly 2.9 million as of 2016. Geographically, the state is divided between the Cross–Niger transition forests in the far south and the drier Guinean forest–savanna mosaic in the rest of the state. The other important geographical features are the Cross River and its tributary, the River Aloma, which flow along Ebonyi’s southeastern and eastern borders, respectively; while fellow Cross River tributaries, the Abonyi (Aboine), Asu, and Eze Aku rivers run through the state’s interior.
After independence in 1960, the area of now-Ebonyi was a part of the post-independence Eastern Region until 1967 when the region was split and the area became part of the East Central State. Less than two months afterwards, the former Eastern Region attempted to secede in the three-year long Nigerian Civil War with Ebonyi as a part of the secessionist state of Biafra. At the war’s end and the reunification of Nigeria, the East Central State was reformed until 1976 when the state’s north became Anambra State and the south became Imo State. Fifteen years afterwards, Anambra and Imo states were divided with their eastern parts becoming Enugu State and Abia State, respectively. It was not until 1996, when Enugu State’s east and Abia’s northeast were split off and joined to form Ebonyi State.
Economically, Ebonyi State is based around agriculture, mainly of yams, rice, oil palm, and cassava crops. A key minor industry is mining due to lead, zinc, and limestone deposits around Abakaliki, and locally hand-made baskets of various sizes at Ntezi. Ebonyi has the joint-twentieth highest Human Development Index in the country and numerous institutions of tertiary education.
Location Of Royal Salt
Royal Salt is located at kilometer 10, Ikwo Road Abakaliki Abakaliki, Ebonyi state, Nigeria.
About Ikwo and school there
Ikwo is a Local Government Area (LGA) in Ebonyi State. It is situated on the eastern part of the state. The city and local government area has a land mass of approximately 500 square kilometers and shares a border with Abakaliki, Izzi and Ezza Local Government Areas as well as Cross River State. It is the home land of a former Governor of the state Chief Martin Elechi. Ikwo is the home to Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu Alike Ikwo (FUNAI) One of the Universities established by president Goodluck Jonathan. Ikwo also plays host to Ebonyi State College of Education, Ikwo at Ndufu Echara. The local government headquarters is at Onu-Ebonyi Echara. Ikwo have boundary with Cross River State
How They process and Import the Lead
After extracting/mining the zinc (& lead), the would ground it. Thereafter load them into sacks then take it to Port Harcourt (in River state, Nigeria) for exportation to abroad. Where companies can process them into various domestic materials.
Can I Visit?
Yes, you can.
What Else to know
Nothing for now. Feel free to ask your question via the comment section below.
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