The Nigerian Federal Government has expressed worry over illegal mining in the country and reaffirmed its commitment to prosecute individuals who break existing environmental standards.
This was disclosed by Prof. Aliyu Jauro, Director-General of the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), during a news conference in Abuja on Thursday.
He recalled that the agency had carried out sensitisation workshops for artisanal miners drawn from different parts of the country, where they were enlightened on the effects of their activities on human health and the environment.
Jauro said NESREA was saddled with the responsibility of enforcing all environmental laws, guidelines, policies, standards and regulations in the country.
He said the agency also prohibited the processes and use of equipment or technology that undermined environmental quality.
Jauro said the agency had recently been inundated with several complaints on the resurgence of the activities of artisanal miners in the country.
He stated that the scenario had prompted concerns about environmental deterioration, crop damage, and poisoning of water supplies, particularly the Osun River.
However, he pointed out that such mining operations were not new to the region because Osun State is located on a schist belt that is well endowed with mineral resources, including gold, tourmaline, tantalite, topaz, and other gemstones, and that is what draws artisanal miners to the area.
The DG said, “Following the recent reports, NESREA had intensified its compliance monitoring of the affected areas which revealed a large presence of Chinese miners, who with the aid of excavators and related equipment, mine and wash the minerals along or close to river courses.
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