Taraba task force arrests suspected illegal miners in gold site raid

The Taraba State Anti-Illegal Mining Task Force has arrested several suspected illegal miners during a targeted raid on a gold mining site in Gangtu village, Bali Local Government Council.

The operation, carried out on Saturday, marked the second intervention at the site within a week.

Sources said the miners fled during an initial raid last week but later returned to resume illegal activities, prompting the renewed enforcement action.

During the operation, makeshift homes and structures erected by the suspects at the mining site were destroyed.

Addressing journalists in the state capital, the chairman of the task force, Emmanuel Jamu, said the raid followed weeks of discreet intelligence gathering and surveillance.

“We have been monitoring this particular site for some time. The illegal operators have shown a flagrant disregard for the law, even after our previous warning,” Jamu said.

He explained that the operation was part of the state’s ongoing efforts to sanitise the mining sector, protect the environment and ensure that mineral resources are exploited in accordance with the law.

Jamu disclosed that all suspects arrested during the raid would be profiled and prosecuted in line with the provisions of the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act. He reiterated the task force’s resolve to sustain its crackdown on illegal mining activities across Taraba State.

The task force chairman also appealed to residents of mining communities to support security agencies by providing timely and credible information on illegal mining operations, stressing that those engaged in economic sabotage would face the full weight of the law.