Insecurity in Plateau fuelled by illegal mining – Gov Mutfwang

• He stated that the massive mineral deposits in the Middle Belt State have turned it into a ground zero for heinous and nefarious actions of all manner of armed non-state actors, especially bandits

Plateau State Governor, Barr. Caleb Mutfwang has said the perennial insecurity in the state is mainly fuelled by illegal mining.

He said the illegal mining of the state’s mineral resources, which could be a significant income generator for the state, was the reason he signed an Executive Order suspending mining activities.

He stated that the massive mineral deposits in the Middle Belt State have turned it into a ground zero for heinous and nefarious actions of all manner of armed non-state actors, especially bandits.

Mutfwang disclosed that the criminal elements wreaking havoc in the state used the proceeds of their illegal mining activities to sustain their diabolical activities by unleashing mayhem on innocent people.

Mutfwang made the disclosure when he hosted journalists at the Government House in Jos, where he gave an account of his stewardship in the last two years,

Gov. Mutfwang bemoaned the fact that these bandits, with the help of their sponsors who procure sophisticated weapons for them, would go into communities with huge mineral deposits, sack the communities, and take over the mining business illegally.

Justifying the Executive Order, which critics had described as a way of stifling small-scale businesses, the governor said his administration aimed to effectively regulate the mining industry so that the people who are engaged in it legally would not be exploited.

Mutfwang noted that mining is a crucial economic driver, which could help the state and the investors to benefit greatly if done right.

He stressed that illegal mining has remained a big challenge for the state, which informed his decision to sign the order that temporarily suspended all mining activities in the state so that a committee can sit down and come up with a workable template that would regulate the money-spinning sector for the benefit of all.

The governor also emphasised that part of the insecurity being faced in the state is driven by the mineral attacks which are often aimed at dislodging communities so criminals can move in to access deposits, vowing that his administration would not fold its hands and allow indigenous people to be chased out of their lands