Taraba State in North East region is facing rising farmer–herdsmen tensions.
Taraba State Government has intensified its clampdown on illegal mining, handing over 40 suspected illegal miners to the state Police Command for prosecution following their arrest in Bali Local Government Area.
The suspects were intercepted by the Taraba State Anti-Illegal Mining Taskforce while travelling in four buses along the Jalingo-Bali Road. Authorities said they were conveying sophisticated mining equipment valued at hundreds of millions of naira, believed to have been intended for illegal mining operations.
Speaking with journalists at the TY Danjuma House in Jalingo, Chairman of the Anti-Illegal Mining Taskforce, SP Emmanuel Jamu, disclosed that the suspects were apprehended during a coordinated operation carried out by the taskforce.
According to him, preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects are from Gombe, Niger, the Federal Capital Territory (Abuja), Bauchi, Zamfara and Yobe states, where many of those involved in illegal mining activities in Taraba are believed to originate.
Jamu identified Mayokan, Baki and Gantu communities in Bali Local Government Area as the major hotspots for illegal mining activities in the state.
> “When they hear that the Gold here is of high quality, they relocate their activities to the area, by the time we allow them to relocate, we are simply relocating insecurity in the state and that will definitely affect the peace we are enjoying in the state.
> “We intercepted them yesterday been Sunday, today as you can see the taskforce is conveying them to handover to the commissioner of police, I told the commissioner on the need for proper prosecution of the people who have invaded our communities for mining activities without any substantive approval with intension to do mining.
> “They are here to do mining where an executive order banning the activities is in existence, they were intercepted with items that are to be presented as exhibit against them as illegal miners.”
The taskforce chairman said the seized mining machines would serve as exhibits during the prosecution of the suspects.
Recall that Governor Agbu Kefas reactivated Executive Order No. 5 a few months ago, prohibiting illegal mining across Taraba State as part of efforts to curb environmental degradation, criminal activities and other security threats associated with unauthorized mining operations.
