Civil Defence raises alarm over illegal mining in Kwara

The Kwara State Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Mr Ideba Pedro, has raised the alarm that Kura community, under Yahsikira emirate in Baruten local government area of the state, has highest record of illegal mining in the country.

According to him, the Kura community shares boarder closely with Benin Republic while  foreigners with the aid of some Nigerians were operating illegal mining in the area and had already taken over the whole community with the assistance of hoodlums with sophisticated weapons.

He lamented that this economic potentials were being  taken to foreign countries at the expense of the Federal government though, he said mining activities was the prerogative of the Federal Government but said states also had a role to play in this sector.

Mr Pedro made this disclosure in Ilorin the Kwara State capital when he received the President  of the Kwara Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (KWACCIMA), Alhaji Ahmed Raji and his executive while on an advocacy visit to his office.

“We have heard a lot of complaints about illegal mining activities in Kwara State and if the State government or KWACCIMA itself can harness these economic potentials, it will be good for the people of the state”.

According to him , Kwara State was blessed with a lot of mineral resources and economic potentials which could further boost the economy of the state if well tapped.

Mr Pedro, therefore, urged the state government, KWACCIMA and other authorities concerned to look seriously into the act of unlicensed miners operating in the state particularly in the local government areas that share  borders with neighboring countries.

He reiterated that  Kara state was blessed with a lot of economic potentials across the state while the command had received a lot of cases of illegal mining and miners with sophisticated weapons and announced that even recently, one person was killed at a mining site in the state.