Governors and traditional rulers from the north have urged President Bola Tinubu to suspend mining activities in the region amid the growing insecurity in the area.
The call was contained in a communiqué they issued after a joint meeting of the Northern States Governors’ Forum and the Northern Traditional Rulers’ Council held at the Sir Kashim Ibrahim House, Kaduna.
“The Forum observed that illegal mining has become a major contributory factor to the security crises in Northern Nigeria.
“We strongly recommend a suspension of mining exploration for six months to allow proper audit and to arrest the menace of artisanal illegal mining,” the report read.
It also included the declaration of support for state police by the forum and called for expedition of action by the federal and state lawmakers for the actualisation.
Recall that the north has been an epicentre of banditry and kidnap — a twin problems that are on the rise in the region.
