The Amalokpa Development Association (ADA), representing residents and Ekubara landowners of Amalokpa Amaonye Village in Ishiagu, Ivo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, has petitioned the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), accusing Chief Henry Ahanotu, also known as Greenfield Metals Limited, of alleged illegal mining, destruction of farmlands, sponsorship of violence, and other offences in the community.
In a petition dated July 25, 2026, and addressed to the Commandant-General of the NSCDC through the Commandant of the Mining Marshal, the community alleged that the company unlawfully registered mining coordinates over deposits of lead and zinc located on their ancestral land without the consent of landowners.
According to the petitioners, the mining rights were allegedly obtained without community approval, while the company had developed a pattern of acquiring mining fields from rural communities and leasing them to foreign firms.
The petition further claimed that although the disputed mining licences expired in 2024 and were allegedly not renewed following intervention by the Federal Ministry of Mines and Solid Mineral Development, Chief Ahanotu and Greenfield Metals Limited allegedly returned to the site and commenced activities that destroyed economic trees, cassava farms, rice fields and other crops valued by the community at over ₦3 billion.
The association also alleged that violence erupted on September 27, 2025, when armed hoodlums allegedly invaded a community meeting convened to deliberate on selecting a mining partner. The petition claimed that several villagers sustained injuries, while houses, motorcycles, windows, doors and other personal property were vandalized during the attack.
According to the petition, residents have since lived under constant fear, alleging repeated attacks by armed men, assaults on women and children, and the displacement of many adult males from the community, leaving Amalokpa Amaonye largely deserted.
The community is therefore urging the NSCDC to investigate the allegations and immediately halt all mining activities on the disputed land.
It also requested an unconditional public apology from Chief Henry Ahanotu and Greenfield Metals Limited through at least two national newspapers or a recognized television station, alongside compensation of ₦3 billion for the alleged destruction of farmlands and other properties.
Copies of the petition were also sent 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.
