Following the immediate suspension of all forms of mining activities in Zamfara State, the State Police command has described the ban as a welcome development, saying that the police would do its best within the ambits of the law to ensure that the order is carried out perfectly.
Speaking with DAILY POST in Gusau, the state capital, the state commissioner of police, Mr. Celestine Okoye said the insecurity situation in the state has been causing him a lot of sleepless nights since he was deployed to the crisis-stricken state.
He noted that the ugly development calls for serious public attention and well-coordinated security network including the military.
“With effective and efficient commitments and operation, we hope to reclaim every public space that was illegally claimed by the armed bandits and notorious kidnappers in the state,” he stressed.
Mr. Okoye stressed that the main reason the federal government is adopting the measure is that the rampant killings and kidnappings could not be unconnected with secret and illegal mining activities in the state, saying that both the licensed and unlicensed activities have to be suspended.
The state police boss stated that stealing of government property such as the gold and other solid mineral resources was a serious public offence.
However, our correspondent gathered from Zamfara citizens that all the foreigners doing mining activities in the state are being employed by the highly placed individuals in the state who claimed to be untouchable because of their positions.
Most of the people who spoke with DAILY POST wondered how the ban could be very effective and operational when the highly placed individuals claim to be untouchable.
