By Nwabueze Okonkwo
ONITSHA — Tension gripped the premises of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) in Onitsha, Anambra State, on Thursday as members of the Sand Miners and Tipper Drivers Associations staged a mass protest against alleged extortion and intimidation by the Operation Clean and Healthy Anambra (OCHA) Brigade and Prof. Charles Ofoegbu, Chairman of the state Solid Mineral Development Committee.
Over 1,000 demonstrators, carrying placards with messages such as “OCHA brigade should stop sealing our beaches,” and “We are licensed miners, not illegal operators,” converged on the NIWA premises to voice their grievances. The protesters accused the OCHA Brigade of harassing and extorting members who were legally licensed to operate along the River Niger.
Addressing the crowd, Sir Chris Mbaegbu, President of the Sand Miners Association, alleged that members had suffered substantial financial losses due to clampdowns on their equipment and mining activities. He urged Governor Chukwuma Soludo to intervene.
“We recognize our host local government areas — Onitsha South, Onitsha North, Oyi, and Ogbaru — and pay our dues, yet the OCHA Brigade continues to harass our members, undermining the state’s revenue generation efforts. We appeal to Governor Soludo to meet with us urgently to regularize revenue remittance and stop these intimidations,” Mbaegbu said.
Another protester, Uche Okafor, claimed that the OCHA Brigade sealed mining beaches, confiscated mining equipment, and demanded millions of naira to release them. Similarly, Prince Augustine Akaigwe, state Chairman of the Tipper Drivers Association, alleged that over 21 tippers were impounded, with members allegedly forced to pay as much as N300,000 for bail and the release of their vehicles.
NIWA Area Manager for Onitsha, Sir Victor Nwokocha, commended the protesters for maintaining a peaceful demonstration and assured them that their grievances would be forwarded to Governor Soludo through NIWA headquarters. He emphasized that NIWA had legally granted operational licenses to the miners within its Right of Way as stipulated in its establishing Act.
In contrast, Chief Celestine Anaere, CEO of the OCHA Brigade, denied any claims of extortion, stating that the agency’s operations targeted indiscriminate sand dumping and mud spreading by tipper drivers, which were damaging public roads.
The protest underscores rising tensions between licensed sand miners, tipper operators, and state enforcement agencies in Onitsha, highlighting the need for dialogue to prevent further disruption and ensure compliance with regulatory frameworks.
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