The federal government has threatened to revoke licensed units of land harbouring the activities of illegal miners.
This warning follows the recent spate of collapsed mining sites resulting in loss of lives.
This is the latest government effort towards curtailing the nefarious activities of illegal operators in the mining value chain.
LEADERSHIP recalls that last week, a mining pit collapsed in Niger State, claiming the lives of three illegal miners.
Two weeks earlier, a mining pit had collapsed after heavy rains and killed 20 persons in the Shiroro area of Niger State, according to police authorities.
Minister of solid minerals development Dr.Dele Alake, who have this warning, said preliminary investigations showed that the collapsed mine was in the area under Exploration Licence 43113 of JURASSIC MINES Limited in Adunu Village, Paikoro Local Government Area, Niger State.
In a statement by Segun Tomori, his special assistant, Alake explained that when an exploration licence is given to an applicant to confirm if the site is suitable for the proposed mineral exploration, it does not authorise the applicant to engage in mining.
Speaking on the ministry’s response to the incident, Alake noted that the ministry received reports of the accident at about 4.45 pm. on Thursday which indicated that three people had died when a tunnel collapsed on them while mining gold in the site.
He said further inquiry revealed that the miners were mining illegally .
“The ministry promptly mobilised its mine officers and headed to the area, arriving at the site around 6.15 pm,” he said, adding that the officials were informed that three men were killed in the accident and had since been buried.
“At the time of the visit, work had stopped at the site, and only onlookers were seen. The coordinates of the site were taken, and officials returned to Minna at about 8.30 pm. The owners of the company were contacted by phone, but they claimed ignorance of happenings in the site. They were then summoned to the office in the state capital,” he said.
The minister pledged to communicate further developments as they unfold.
