Niger State Authorities have apprehended no fewer than 33 people accused of partaking in unlawful mining actions that pose severe environmental and safety dangers.
New Telegraph stories that their arrests befell within the Gbokuchi-Kotongba space of Paikoro Native Authorities Space of the state throughout a coordinated enforcement operation.
The operation, spearheaded by the Niger State Ministry of Mineral Assets, was performed in collaboration with the Nigeria Safety and Civil Protection Corps (NSCDC) and the Forest Hunters Affiliation.
The ministry’s Everlasting Secretary, Yunusa Nahauni, led the raid, emphasizing the federal government’s dedication to tackling unauthorized mining.
Stories point out that the arrested people had been unlawfully extracting minerals from land that belongs to a different firm for over ten years.
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Group members expressed frustration over the long-standing unlawful actions and their impression on native sources.
Nahauni criticized native leaders, together with the village head and elders, for his or her inaction regardless of being conscious of the continuing mining operations.
He reiterated Governor Mohammed Umar Bago’s directive to halt all unauthorized mining attributable to safety considerations and warned that violators would face authorized penalties.
He additionally urged residents to stay vigilant and report any suspicious actions to the authorities, stressing that the federal government is decided to sanitize the mining sector.
“We can not afford to be complacent. The state authorities has a transparent imaginative and prescient to sanitize the mining sector, and we’ll proceed to take proactive steps to reveal these hiding underneath the guise of mining whereas partaking in unlawful actions,” Nahauni said.
Moreover, he raised alarms over the presence of undocumented overseas miners within the space, questioning how they managed to realize entry into the state undetected.
He referred to as on the Nigeria Immigration Service to research potential entry routes and tighten safety measures.
Reaffirming the federal government’s resolve, Nahauni made it clear that the battle towards unlawful mining will proceed unabated, urging communities to collaborate in safeguarding the state’s mineral sources.
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