The Nigerian government has warned illegal miners to immediately vacate all sites in Zamfara State.
The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, gave this warning on Tuesday in a statement by his spokesperson, Segun Tomori.
The warning follows reports of recent lead poisoning in the Bugundu Local Government Area of Zamfara state.
The minister stressed that all mining activities remained suspended until the release of standard operating procedures to guide the resumption of exploration in the state.
He explained that the outbreak was evidence that traditional and local institutions had allowed illegal miners to operate in their areas, in flagrant violation of the ban on illegal mining.
He urged that every citizen should respect constituted authorities and regulations.
“However, where they demonstrate wilful negligence and abdicate their responsibilities, they perpetrate a state of anomie with dire consequences, as we are witnessing in this case,” he said.
As a solution, Alake said experts and ministry officials’ reports will recommend specific interventions enabling us to stave off future calamities, he stated.
“We must work together to kick out illegal miners from all corners to protect the lives of innocent citizens endangered by the desperation of a few individuals to make money at all costs,” he added.
