FG Warns Illegal Miners to Stop Storing Explosives

Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja

The federal government, has issued a warning to the public regarding the storage of explosive materials in residential areas for the purpose of illegal mining.

Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, handed this caution during a visit to Sabon Pegi, Niger State, yesterday.

He expressed condolences to residents affected by a dynamite explosion that occurred on Monday, resulting in fatalities and significant damage to property.

The minister was among several prominent officials on the visit, including the Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago; former governor and current Senator for Niger North, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello; and the Speaker of the Niger State House of Assembly, Alhaji Abdulmalik Sarkin-Daji.

He emphasised that the storage of explosive devices for illegal mining activities presented considerable dangers to both lives and property.

He urged individuals engaged in such practices to cease immediately, noting that President Bola Tinubu had instructed the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development to reform the sector to mitigate these illegal activities.

“These are tragedies that are virtually man-made and we cannot allow that to continue and the president has directed that the National Orientation Agency steps up its campaigns and advocacy and enlightenment to all Nigerians, particularly those in this illegal mining activities. This community is endowed with a lot of mineral resources.

“Only recently, the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, has embarked on re-organisation of mining activities around the country and we do hope that they will take this lesson very seriously,” Idris said.

He also relayed the president’s concern regarding the recent increase in disasters nationwide, indicating that he had directed the National Orientation Agency to bolster its public awareness initiatives to avert similar occurrences.

“First and foremost, we have to understand that this kind of tragedy is happening just too many times in our country, and the president is deeply saddened and he has instructed that the National Orientation Agency carries out advocacy and enlightenment campaigns, especially among these rural communities to avert the recurrence of this,” he said.