Northern Governors Ask Tinubu To Halt Mining For Six Months, Link Illegal Sites To Worsening Insecurity

Kaduna State– Northern governors have called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immediately suspend all mining activities across the region for six months, warning that illegal mining has become a major driver of the worsening insecurity ravaging several northern states.

Their demand was contained in a communiqué issued after a joint meeting of the Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF) and the Northern Traditional Rulers’ Council held on Monday at the Sir Kashim Ibrahim House in Kaduna.

The statement was signed by the NSGF Chairman, Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State.

According to the communiqué, the Forum “observed that illegal mining has become a major contributory factor to the security crises in Northern Nigeria.”

It urged President Tinubu to instruct the Minister of Solid Minerals to suspend mining exploration for six months to allow for a full audit of activities in the sector.

The governors also demanded that all mining licences be subjected to a six-month revalidation process, in consultation with state governments, to curb the “menace of artisanal illegal mining.”

The Forum extended condolences to the governments and residents of Kebbi, Kwara, Kogi, Niger, Sokoto, Jigawa, and Kano States over recent killings and mass abductions, including attacks on school children.

It also sympathised with victims of Boko Haram assaults in Borno and Yobe States.

The governors commended President Tinubu’s efforts in securing the release of abducted children and tackling other security threats but stressed the urgency of stabilising the region.

Reiterating their long-standing position, the Forum again declared full support for the creation of State Police and urged federal and state lawmakers from the North to fast-track legislative action to make it a reality.