Governor Abubakar Sani Bello of Niger state has ordered immediate suspension of all mining activities in Shiroro, Munya, and Rafi Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the State over continued bandits’ attacks until further notice.
This was disclosed on Monday in a statement issued by Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Ahmed Ibrahim Matane, in Minna.
He said the decision to suspend mining activities become necessary as a result of escalating insecurity in those areas in recent times.
He said, “It is observed that these mining sites now attract or even accommodate criminals with prospective threats to security of lives and property,”
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He warned that any mining operator caught engaging in mining activities in the areas mentioned would face the full wrath of the law.
According to him, “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”.
He assured that government will not scale down pressure on the armed bandits, kidnappers, cattle rustlers, and other criminal elements until they were flushed out of the state.
He urged the people of the state to be security conscious and report all suspicious characters, movements, or objects in their communities to security agents.