The newly posted Commandant of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, in Niger State, Abdulhamid Salisu Kabara, has warned that illegal mining activities remain a serious security threat despite the recent incident that claimed the lives of 34 miners in the state.
Kabara raised the alarm on Tuesday during a familiarisation visit to the Speaker of the Niger State House of Assembly, Abdulmalik Sarkindaji, in his office in Minna.
He said illegal miners had regrouped and resumed operations in large numbers, allegedly using force to drive residents out of their homes to gain access to mining sites.
According to him, the activities have continued to threaten the safety of residents in parts of Minna, with many abandoning their homes for fear of being attacked.
“The situation now is that they feel they are above the law. There is a need for an urgent step towards addressing the current situation,” he said.
The commandant called on the state legislature to enact a law to prohibit illegal mining activities, warning that failure to address the situation could lead to another major security crisis.
He described his assumption of office as challenging, particularly in view of the controversy surrounding the deaths of the 34 miners in NSCDC custody.
Kabara, however, assured residents that his administration would enforce discipline and professionalism in the corps, stressing that personnel must adhere strictly to operational procedures and rules of engagement.
According to him,” There must be observance of the rules of engagement in our operations. There must be discipline and commitment among the personnel because internationally, Civil Defence is known to rescue people, save people and cater to them. That is what they must do now”.
Responding, the Speaker assured the new commandant of the Assembly’s support in addressing the security challenges and rebuilding public confidence in the corps.
Sarkindaji said the commandant had an important responsibility to restore the relationship between the NSCDC and residents following the incident involving the deaths of the miners.
“You need to do a lot of work towards rebuilding the confidence and cementing the relationship between the service and the people. This is very important as you settle down in your new posting,” he stated.
On the proposed legislation to address illegal mining, the Speaker acknowledged that mining falls under the exclusive legislative jurisdiction of the Federal Government but maintained that this would not prevent the state from taking measures to protect its communities.
He argued that mining activities should not commence in any community without the consent of the host community.
“I don’t want to say that our hands are tied when it comes to mining activities because mining falls under the Exclusive List, but we will not say that as a state, we will just fold our hands without doing anything,” Sarkindaji stated.
He added that the Federal Government’s responsibility for the mining sector did not mean the state should remain passive while communities faced security threats.
The Speaker further assured Kabara that the Assembly would strengthen its existing relationship with the NSCDC and provide institutional support to enable the corps to discharge its responsibilities effectively.
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