Authorities Arrest 33 Suspected Illegal Miners in Niger

33 people have been arrested by Niger State authorities on suspicion of participating in illicit mining operations that endanger the environment and public safety.
During a concerted enforcement effort, the arrests were made in the Paikoro Local Government’s Gbokuchi-Kotongba neighborhood.
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) and the Forest Hunters Association worked together to carry out the operation, which was led by the Niger State Ministry of Mineral Resources.

The raid was headed by Yunusa Nahauni, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, who emphasized the government’s will to combat illegal mining.

According to reports, the arrested individuals had been illegally mining minerals from another company’s land for more than a decade.

People in the community were angry about the ongoing unlawful actions and how they affected local resources.

Even though the village chief and elders were aware of the ongoing mining operations, Nahauni chastised them for their passivity.

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He reaffirmed Governor Mohammed Umar Bago’s order to stop all unapproved mining because of security concerns and issued a warning that those who disobey the order would be prosecuted.

He also emphasized that the government is committed to sanitizing the mining industry and asked locals to be on the lookout for any suspicious activity and to report it to the appropriate authorities.

“We can’t afford to take it easy. “We will continue to take proactive steps to expose those hiding under the guise of mining while engaging in illegal activities. The state government has a clear vision to sanitize the mining sector,” Nahauni said.

He also expressed concern about the area’s undocumented foreign miners and questioned how they were able to enter the state without being identified.

He urged the Nigerian Immigration Service to strengthen security and look into potential access points.

Nahauni urged communities to work together in order to protect the state’s natural resources, reiterating the government’s commitment to combating unlawful mining.