Gombe State Commandant of the NSCDC, Muhammad Muazu,
No fewer than three persons involved in illegal mining activities have been arrested by operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Akko Local Government Area of Gombe State.
Our correspondent reports that they were arrested at a site in the Gamawa community in Akko LGA, operating in violation of the mining clearance that was approved by the Federal Government.
Confirming this to journalists on Sunday, the State Commandant of the NSCDC, Muhammad Muazu, noted that illegal mining has been a source of concern in the country, following its dangers and contributions to environmental degradation, soil erosion, deforestation, and water pollution as well as other forms of security challenges.
He described the arrest by his command as a significant milestone in the fight, as it sends a strong message to illegal miners within the state.
“My team stormed the site following a tip-off from some concerned citizens. While they were excavating with their machine, we stormed the place, and ironically, they claimed to be the owners of the site and that they had a licence, but when we checked their documents we discovered that the approval they had was for Laterite sand which they abandoned for mining coal,” Muazu said.
The commandant disclosed that having reported to the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development and the Gombe State Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, the command has ordered the temporary suspension of activity at the site until proper clearance is obtained from the necessary authorities, adding that “this is to ensure that all mining activities within the state are carried out in compliance with the mining laws and regulations as stipulated by the government.”
Also speaking, the Gombe State Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Sanusi Pindiga, announced the suspension of all mining activities across the state and urged all miners in the state to appear before the ministry for screening and clearance.
According to him, the decision followed the discovery of the illegal mining site by the NSCDC, and that it was made to ensure that miners operating in the state are properly screened and cleared by the ministry.
“It is disheartening and wrong for us as a ministry to hear about a miner who claimed to have come from outside Gombe or any mining activity from the NSCDC, and not from the miners. A genuine miner should report to the appropriate authority before going to the field.
“We don’t want a situation where miners will be mining without considering the dangers and effect of the activities on the lives of our people, their farmlands, and communities,” Pindiga said
The commissioner added that it was important to note that failure to comply with this directive of the ministry may result in serious consequences while calling on miners in the state to cooperate with the ministry to avoid any negative decisions.