The Nasarawa State Government has established a special monitoring and enforcement team to tackle illegal mining and child labour across communities in the state.
The State Commissioner for Environment, Mineral Resources and Mining, Princess Margaret Elayo, disclosed this during a press briefing in Lafia.
Elayo explained that the measure became necessary following the recent reported deaths of more than 30 suspected illegal miners in Minna, Niger State.
She stressed that the state government would no longer stand by and allow individuals to engage in illegal mining activities that endanger lives and contribute to environmental degradation.
The commissioner explained that the special monitoring team had been empowered to visit mining communities and sites across the state and arrest persons or entities engaged in mining activities without the required licences and government clearance.
Elayo identified Marhai in Wamba Local Government Area as one of the communities where cases of illegal mining had recently been reported.
She called on traditional rulers and community leaders to cooperate with the government in its efforts to eliminate illegal mining activities across the state and safeguard the lives and property of citizens.
The commissioner stressed that the incident in Niger State should serve as a warning to Nasarawa State and prompt precautionary measures to sanitise mining activities and other operations involving the exploration of the state’s mineral resources.
