By Priscilla Dennis Niger State Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello, has ordered the immediate suspension of all mining activities ...
By Priscilla Dennis
Niger State Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello, has
ordered the immediate suspension of all mining activities in Shiroro, Munya and
Rafi Local Government Areas of the state.
The order, he said, became necessary following continued
bandits’ attacks on the councils until further notice.
It would be recalled that bandits attacked a mining site in
Ajata Aboki Village in Shiroro LG last Wednesday that resulted in the killing
of about 48 persons, including soldiers, mobile police and civilians.
Many sustained various degrees of injuries and several
others were kidnapped in the area.
This was contained in a statement issued by Secretary to the
State Government (SSG), Ahmed Ibrahim Matane in Minna.
The SSG said the decision to suspend activities became
necessary as a result of escalating insecurity in those areas in recent times.
“It is observed that these mining sites now attract or even
accommodate criminals with prospective threats to security of lives and
property, ”the statement argued.
He warned that any mining operator caught engaging in mining
activities in the areas mentioned would face the full wrath of the law.
“The State Government has directed security agencies in the
state to profile all mining sites in the affected local governments with a view
to ascertaining their genuineness.”
Matane also assured the people of the state that the
government would not scale down pressure on the armed bandits, kidnappers,
cattle rustlers and other criminal elements until they were flushed out of the
state.
The statement further urged the people of the state to be
security conscious and report all suspicious characters, movements, or objects
in their communities to security agents.
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