Taraba State Arrests 3,500 Illegal Miners
By Yange Ikyaa
The Taraba Task Force on the Enforcement of the Ban on Illegal Mining and Deforestation has arrested 3,500 illegal miners in Bali Local Government Area of the State.
This is according to Brig.-Gen. Jeremiah Faransa (Rtd), Chairman of the Task Force, who made this known in Jalingo during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
Faransa said that the illegal miners who were arrested came from Mali, Senegal, Chad, Zamfara and other parts of the country. He also noted that the state has been richly blessed with abundant natural resources that are begging to be harnessed, not just for the benefits of the locals but for the state and the country at large.
The General however lamented that “this beautiful atmosphere endowed by nature is being threatened by the activities of some un-authorized people through illegal mining.
“These illegal miners take home billions of Naira on daily basis at the expense of the locals. They damage the ecosystem and environment which will have multiple effects on the future of the state.
“Dogon Yatsu, is an unmotorable thick forest which has become their new abode where they extract mineral resources of various kinds.”
The arrested suspects, General Faransa said, had been prosecuted by a Mobile Court and were being punished accordingly.
He reiterated the determination of the special task force to safeguard the state and its environment from illegal miners’ encroachment by leaving no stone unturned.
In a related development, Kebbi State Governor, Nasir Idris has carried out inspections on mining sites at Warrah and Birnin Yauri in Ngaski and Yauri Local Councils of the State in order to woo investors to inject funds into the economy.
He also said it was part of his efforts towards reviving mining activities in the affected areas, apart from diversifying the revenue base of the state. Kebbi State, the Governor noted, has multiple sources of revenue besides farming, which is why it remains one of the major contributors to national food security.
Speaking through his Chief Press Secretary, the Kebbi State Governor said “the present administration is ready to holistically revive mining activities in the state to attract investors and boost Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the state.
“I want to use this medium to charge the youth engaged in mining activities to be law-abiding and to ensure that any newcomer to the area is identified by community leaders to avoid criminal tendencies.”
