By Margaret Tyam
Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, on Thursday ordered the immediate suspension of mining activities in the state as a means of curbing security threats emanating from that area.
He gave the directive at the meeting held with Kwande stakeholders at the Benue State Government House, Makurdi.
The governor said the activities of miners were already posing threat to the peace of the state.
He said that the state government would set up committees at state, local government and ward levels to regulate the activities of the miners.
He said, “Recent events in the Kwande Local Government Area are posing danger and threat to the peace in council and the state in general and this is as a result of mining activities in the area.
“We know that there are some miners with licences from the Federal Government because it is the responsibility of Federal Government to grant licences.
“We know that some of the miners don’t have licences; we have foreigners and indigenous ones among them.
“As a result of the danger the activities of the miners pose in the state, we hereby suspend all mining activities in the state including those with licences.
The governor asked all licensed miners to register with the state Ministry of Land, Survey and Solid Minerals.