*Dr. Oladele Alake, Minister for Solid Minerals Development, mourns the brutal killings of 12 innocent workers at a mining site by bandits at Unguwar Magro Village, in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State, assuring the Mining Marshals are working with the intelligence community to fish out the suspects, and put their hands to the fire

Isola Moses | 绿帽献妻

Sequel to the recent incursion of bandits and criminal elements into the mineral-rich areas for illegal mining by violence, the Federal Government has pledged to avenge the murder of 12 miners, perpetrated by bandits at Unguwar Magro Village, in Shiroro Local Government Area (LGA) of Niger State.

Dr. Oladele Alake, Honourable Minister for Solid Minerals Development, who disclosed these measures in a statement Thursday, August 22, 2024, in Abuja, FCT, mourned the brutal killings of innocent workers at the mining site.

Alake noted the Nigerian Government, while giving the assurance, said the security agencies were on the trail of the suspects, and would soon bring them to face the wrath of the law.

Subsequently, the Nigerian Government has declared that no form of mining will be allowed to occur at the scene of the attack until security agencies have concluded investigations into the attack, stated the Minister.

He further assured Nigerians that security agencies would not rest until mines across the country are safe from the incursion of bandits and criminal elements seeking to take possession of mineral-rich areas of the country for illegal mining by violence.

According to Alake, the Mining Marshals are working with intelligence units and other security agencies to make the recent attack a special case of collaboration of all agencies to track the trail and pattern of operations of the bandits suspected to have infiltrated Shiroro Local Government from neighbouring states.

Segun Tomori, Special Assistant to the Minister on Media, quoted Alake to have said: 鈥淭here is a new Sheriff in town, and combatting banditry in the mining sector is a mandate we are taking seriously.

鈥淭hose who think they can invade villages, kill innocent people to make way for illegal mining of their rich minerals, will be shocked to discover that it is no longer business as usual.鈥�

The Minister also noted: 鈥淲ith the Mining Marshals working with the intelligence community, we shall fish out these hoodlums and put their hands to the fire.鈥�

Dr. Alake further disclosed that the preliminary reports on the incident had fingered 鈥渘on-Nigerians active in the mining businesses as funders of such operations鈥�.

He, therefore, warned that anyone found guilty of this infraction would be prosecuted for economic sabotage and waging war against Nigeria.

Alake warned foreign embassies in Nigeria to monitor the activities of their nationals in the mining sector of the country鈥檚 economy, stressing that allegations of criminal conduct pose serious threats to the bilateral harmony between Nigeria and other countries in the world in this regard.

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