By Fatima Zahra Muhammad
ASHENEWS reports that the Niger state government has commenced profiling of miners in the state following allegations that some miners were sponsoring the activities of bandits in some parts of the state.
The Niger State Commissioner for Mineral Resource, Garba Sabo Yahya stated this while speaking to journalists in Minna on Monday.
Yahya said that the government has received a petition that some miners in the state have been financing the activities of bandits in the state by paying them monies to allow them to operate.
“We want to have the actual data do the miners in the state, we want to profile them, and we should know their locations.
“If there is any intervention or assistance from the government, if you don’t have data, there is no way you can assist people.
“That’s why the government wants to profile miners. There is also information from some quarters that miners are sponsoring bandits.
“They pay bandits to allow them to do their business.“
Yahya said that the State Ministry of Mineral Resources will liaise with the Ministry of Home Security to tackle the issue.
On his part, the state chairman of the Miners Association, Mohammed Ismail Mambo stated that none of its registered members were engaged in banditry.
“People generalize miners as illegal, but legal miners have documents as enshrined in our constitution.
“There is no miner in Niger state legally operating that has any affiliation to banditry.
“Since my tenure, I have never seen where a single miner is arrested for conniving with bandits or even arrested with an AK-47,” he said.
Responding to the state governors allegation’s, mambo said “That is his assertion. The governor can allege that but for you to prove that, definitely you have to go a long way. I am in support of the government profiling the miners but there is no record whatsoever that shows any link of any legal miner caught in banditry act in the history of Niger.
“When you talk of social crimes, maybe laborers engage in smoking and drugs. I won’t deny that but when you talk of banditry, I will say no.”
This online platform reports that the Niger state governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago has repeatedly identified mining as a contributing factor to the insecurity in some parts of the state.
Speaking when he met with a delegation from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) on Monday, Bago described illegal mining as symbiotic to banditry.
“Out of the 25 local government areas in Niger state, 16 are ravaged by banditry and extremist activities A lot of illegal mining ranging from lithium to gold is happening. This is symbiotic to banditry,” he said.
