The Chairman of the Taraba State Special Taskforce Committee on Environmental Protection, Public Safety, and Prohibition of Deforestation, retired General Jeremiah Aliyu Faransa, has raised the alarm over the extensive environmental destruction caused by illegal mining activitie across the state.
Briefing journalists in Jalingo, the Gen. Faransa (rtd), who described the damage to the environment as immeasurable, said the taskforce has been actively working to combat illegal mining activities, which, according to him, have led to significant deforestation and degradation of land in various parts of Taraba State.
He disclosed that the taskforce has made series of arrests, including foreign nationals involved in illegal mining operations.
Among those arrested and handed over to the taskforce mobile court, Gen. Faransa (rtd) said, are individuals from the Republic of Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and China.
“We have arrested numerous individuals, including foreign nationals from Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, and China,” he said.
Announcing the widespread involvement of non-nationals in illegal mining across the state, Gen. Faransa (rtd), asserted that the taskforce will not rest on its oars until illegal miners are flushed out of the state.
Though he failed provide an exact number of illegal miners arrested, detained or facing prosecution, the taskforce chairman however, noted that the committee has put in place relevant mechanisms that will lead to the tracking down of illegal miners.
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Lamenting the damage to the environment caused by illegal miners, particularly their failure to restore the land, Gen. Faransa (rtd) added that”what we saw was a disturbing level of land destruction and no efforts have been made to refill the excavated areas.”
The taskforce chairman also revealed that many licensed mining companies in the state are operating in default as some companiesate operating with expired licenses, while others have failed to update their payments or comply with regulatory requirements.
Highlighting the urgent need to protect the environment, Gen. Faransa (rtd), urged the Taraba State Government to prioritize a tree-planting initiative to curb desert encroachment, warning that without immediate intervention, the state could face severe desertification within the next five years.
“If that is not done, in the next five years, the state will be in a much worse state in terms of desert encroachment,” he cautioned, just as he called for swift government action to address the problem.
