Illegal Miners Dare Governor Bago, Continue Activities

Despite the Niger State government’s suspension of mining activities, both illegal miners and those with mining licences have continued their illicit operation.

LEADERSHIP findings revealed that despite the state government regulations on mining in the state some of the miners have disregarded the directives by hurriedly going to the Federal Ministry of Mines to get permits.

It was learnt that after the closure of the mining sites some of the mining companies who have highly placed people behind them disregarded the directives of the state government.

Sources hinted that the state government gave the directives to check security challenges, abuse of labour and involvement of minors in mining sites but some of the companies disregarded the directives and still continued mining even in areas bedeviled with security challenges currently.

A villager from around Shiroro area whose village has been under constant attacks told LEADERSHIP that “sometimes we see people well protected carrying out mining in the interiors, we begin to wonder why it is so, we were very happy when the state government suspended mining but this people have disregarded the directives.”

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A stakeholder and a member of the immediate past executives of Miners Association in Niger who preferred anonymity said issues of mining are in the exclusive list of the federal government that is why most legal miners were disregarding the state government’s directives.

The stakeholder said some of the legal miners who have their licences are not answerable to the state government except when they do anything to breach the security of the state.

The state government however said in a bid to enforce mining regulations, the Ministry of Mineral Resources has begun unexpected visit to the mining sites.

The ministry’s information officer, Dibie Maureen said a team led by director of mining, Mr Garba Adamu Musa, joined by members of Nigeria Hunter’s Association embarked on the operational visits.

She said the recent visit led to the arrest of 30 people including eight boys and seven girls for their alleged involvement in mining activities at the sites.