Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia has suspended all mining activities in the state until a miners’ data has been compiled.
The governor gave the directive when he met with members of the Miners Association of Nigeria, Benue Chapter in Makurdi.
He also directed the Mineral Resources and Environment Management Committee, MIREMCO, to immediately begin documenting data of all miners in the state.
He said that the decision to conduct the revalidation exercise was due to reports of security threats.
He also frowned at the contamination of water sources for residents in the affected areas especially in Kwande.
The governor enjoined security agencies and the joint task force on illegal mining to ensure that the right thing was done to enhance the well-being of the people and increase the Internally Generated Revenue.
‘The state government will not tolerate any illegality. It is our administration’s prerogative to protect the lives and property of the people,” he said.