By Nicholas Ojo
The Taraba State Special Task Force on Environmental Protection and Illegal Mining has achieved significant success in cracking down on illegal mining activities in the state.
During a briefing in Jalingo, Chairman Brig. Gen. Jeremiah Faransa (Rtd) announced that the task force had recovered 22,373 kg of Blue Sapphire and other precious stones from illegal miners. In addition, over 100 illegal miners, including foreigners, have been arrested and prosecuted over the past two months.
The recovered 22,373 kg of Sapphire, which was concealed by illegal miners, was found in Mayo Sena in Sardauna LGA of Taraba State. The illegal miners were apprehended in various parts of the state.
Brig. Gen. Faransa expressed concern about the severe damage caused by both legal and illegal mining activities in the state. He mentioned that indiscriminate felling of rosewood trees, also known as Madrid, was among the problems.
He emphasized that mining and logging operations in the state were suspended by an Executive Order, and he urged those involved to halt their activities immediately.
The unregulated activities of miners have resulted in the degradation of arable lands suitable for farming, forcing some communities to abandon agriculture due to land degradation.
Additionally, Brig. Gen. Faransa expressed dismay at the exploitation of teenagers who are being used as cheap labor by mining companies, contributing to an increase in the number of school dropouts.
In the same vein, he frowned at the exploitation of teenagers who are being used as cheap labour by the mining companies thereby increasing the number of school dropouts.
According to him, ”Over 20,000 legal and illegal people are mining in Taraba state. The illegal ones are camouflaging as laborers under the legal mining companies.
“It was in the Arufu and Akwana communities in the Wukari local government area of the state that I knew we were finished. What we saw is a sad tale. These communities have been excavated and destroyed by the activities of both legal and illegal miners.
“The land in these communities are no longer suitable for farming or even building. They have now abandoned farming completely and every household in these communities have become miners.
“Also in Dogon Yasu, teenagers who are supposed to be in school are being exploited by the mining companies and are used as cheap labour.
“When we interviewed most of them, we discovered that they are being given N500 or N1000 a day. And that is why you see that there is an increase in the number of dropouts in Northern Nigeria.”
He however stressed that the state is not against the activities of investors in the mining sector, but is concerned about due diligence and environmental protection.
“Under the Environmental Impact Assessment Regulation 2007, it is expected that after excavation, the miner is supposed to refill that land up to 80 per cent, but I have not seen up to 10 per cent in the mining sites.”
