FG’s inaction responsible for illegal gold mining, group alleges

From Tony Osauzo, Benin

A group, Concern Indigenes of Dangbala (CID) in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of Edo, has blamed illegal mining of gold at Dangbala on delay by the Federal Government and relevant stakeholders to allow legitimate licence holders begin mining at the site.

Convener of the group and and Interim Chairman, Philip Adelabu, in a statement in Benin, said the call to allow legitimate licence holders to operate was part of effort to ensure enduring peace in the community and also to curb the activities of illegal miners.

While urging the government to rise to the occasion and beam its searchlight on some security agencies conniving with the illegal miners to perpetrate their criminal activities, it said residents have been worried and inundated with calls from their people outside on the recent happening in the community.

It demanded immediate prosecution of those arrested and found to have been involved in the criminal exploitation of the natural resources in the community.

“To us, we want the government to allow those that have licence and have been duly cleared to be allowed to take over their respective space in the Oketegbe mining site.

“Once they are allowed to go back and occupy their space, it will check the insecurity and ward off unscrupulous people from having a field day like they did when nothing was happening there.

“Seriously, we are concern with the fact that activities of illegal miners have heightened insecurity in the area which has instilled fear among our people.

“Our fear is further compounded with the denial that there was nothing like illegal mining there even in the face of attacks on some of our people by the illegal miners.

“We really do not know who to trust again because a security agency (NSCDC) that is saddled with the responsibility have come out to deny this against what we (residents) know to be happening… We are not unaware of the fact that some persons are benefitting from the activities of these miners and it is in our position to ensure these people don’t use their selfish interest to jeopardise the peace in the community…”