Economic sabotage: Taraba Task Force Nabs 3,500 Illegal Miners In Bali LGA

No fewer than 3,500 people have been nabbed at Dogon Yatsu forest in Bali Local Government Area of Taraba State by a special task force. The detainees, who include foreigners and nationals, are accused of illegal mining and deforestation.

Chairman of the Task Force, Brigadier General Jeremiah Faransa (Rtd) told Taraba News that the arrested  unlicensed miners  are expatriates from Mali, Senegal, and Chad, as well as nationals from Zamfara and other parts of the country.

Taraba State is richly blessed with abundant natural resources begging to be harnessed for not just the benefit of  indigenes but the country at large.

Unfortunately, this  beautiful State endowed by nature is being threatened by unauthorized mining activities. It has been found that besides damaging the ecosystem and the environment, the illegal miners take home millions of Naira daily at the expense of the locals. This is likely to have devastating or grave repercussions on the stability of the State in the future.

Illegal miners move around in large numbers to carry out their illegitimate businesses.

Dogon Yatsu, a thick, impassable forest in Bali LGA, is now the new abode where they extract mineral resources.

Brigadier General Faransa led his task force on an eight-hour motorcycle ride to carry out the operation at the location that led to the arrest of the 3,500 illegal miners. This shows how much he is concerned about the danger they pose to the State.

Faransa insisted that the Taraba State is not driving away investors but it was important for them to follow due process in their mining activities. He urged the State and Federal Governments to stop the activities of  economic saboteurs to preserve the commonwealth of the country.

One of the arrested miners said they have licences issued in Adamawa State, as well as a Compass GPRS which they use in locating the minerals in Adamawa State, adding that they did not know that they had entered Taraba State.

The special task force on illegal mining and deforestation put in place by Governor Kefas Agbu is leaving no stone unturned in its task to protect the State from being encroached on by illegal miners.