Governor Abubakar Sani Bello has suspended all mining activities in Shiroro, Munya and Rafi local government areas of Niger state due to security challenges in the three LGAs.

This is coming a week after bandits attacked a mining site in Ajata Aboki village in Shiroro LG and killed many soldiers, police and workers as well as four Chinese expatriates.

Secretary to the State Government, Ahmed Ibrahim Matane who made the announcement, said the suspension would remain until further notice.

He added that any mining operator caught engaging in mining activities in the areas mentioned would face the full wrath of the law.

The statement read;

“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 the people of the state that government would not scale down pressure on the bandits, kidnappers, cattle rustlers and other criminal elements until they were flushed out of the state.

The state government also asked people of the state to be security-conscious and report all suspicious characters, movements or objects in their communities to security agents.

Source lindaikeji.

Edited by Wendy Nweke