The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, has urged youths in Kogi State to prevail on their elders, traditional rulers, community leaders and local government authorities to withdraw their support for illegal miners operating in the state.
Alake, who spoke when members of Concerned Kogi Youths Against Environmental Degradation protested to the Ministry, said the continued backing of illegal miners by community stakeholders was frustrating efforts to curb illegal mining and worsening environmental degradation.
The minister, who commended the youths for joining the federal government’s campaign against illegal mining, assured them that the ministry was deploying technology and strengthening the Mining Marshals to intensify the fight against the menace.
He said Kogi State remained a particular concern to the ministry, recalling that the first operation of the Mining Marshals was the dislodgement of illegal miners from the area covered by Mining Licence 19325, belonging to North-South Extractive Industries in Yagba East Local Government Area of the state.
According to him, the Mining Marshals had also assisted several mining companies in removing illegal miners from their licensed areas and prosecuting those arrested.
