Eleojo Samuel Jalingo
Illegal mining activities are again in full swing in Taraba state, as miners who were earlier chased away from sites by the state Task Force on Environmental Protection, Public Safety and Prohibition of Deforestation are back in business.
The miners, who have regrouped in camps across the state, were said to have taken advantage of inability of government to issue the guidelines for formal operations in the sector, since the official suspension of mining by the state government for more than one year ago.
Our correspondent gathered that the Task Force was incapacitated in carrying out sustained crack down on sites and camps due to the difficult terrains and lack of functional vehicles.
investigations revealed that it took between 5-6 hours to reach most of these mining camps due to their mountainous locations, it was therefore very difficult for the Task Force to maintain constant raids as a result of distances.
Investigation reveals that in Abujan Leda, a mining camp within the Jamtari ward of Gashaka Local Government Area, there have been a beehive of activities going on, with workers digging away without any sign of fear of being arrested.
A labourer, who simply identified himself as Farouku Argungu told our correspondent that he has been in the camp for more than five years now and had witnessed about four raids by the Task Force in the last one year, adding that each time the Taskforce comes for raids, residents of the camp always alert the miners to flee the area.
Argungu declined to disclose details of the volume and value of the Sapphire and Quartz being harvested weekly on site, but said the deposits in the ground were unquantifiable.l
Our correspondent further gathered that one Abdullahi Sani Mayanchi, an Ibadan based businessman, was said to be the brain behind the major mining activities in Gashaka local government
Mayanchi , according to our findigs, operates the camp in conjunction with the District Head of Jamtari, who was reported to have given consent to the miner even when the state government has issued a directive asking traditional rulers to stay off mining activities in their domains.
Efforts by our correspondent to contact the district head failed, as calls to his phone could not go through.
Meanwhile, lMayanchi, popularly known as Abdullahi Zamfara denied being in charge of excavations, saying since the task force first burnt down the camp during a raid early last year, he abandoned mining activities in the area.
When pressed further he admitted that he has two of his brothers in the camp, but quickly added that once labourers were camped at a mine, they hardly would vacate no matter the intimidation.
Spokesman for the task force, Zuppai Ibrahim told our correspondent that the Taskforce had raided that particular camp about four times, but wondered why the illegal miners refused to vacate the site.
He said the Task Force will not relent on its assignment despite all odds, until everybody complies with the laws guiding mining in the state.
Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice Yakubu Maikasuwa confirmed that the guidelines on mining in the state will be made public as soon as legislative processes were completed.
He added that once the guidelines were released, interested miners that would dig the soil beyond five meters in the state would have to pay certain fee to the state government. ////.
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