The Commander of the Anti-Illegal Mining Task Force in Taraba State, Jamu Emmanuel Lyon, has declared that the task force is not in Gangtu mining site in Bali local government area of Taraba State to negotiate with illegal miners but to completely halt their activities.
Lyon made the declaration on Wednesday as he led a decisive raid on the mining site, an operation that sent illegal miners fleeing as security operatives moved in to dismantle their operations.
“We are not here to negotiate. We are here to shut them down. Every day, these criminals operate, they poison our rivers, destroy our farmlands, and rob our state. Today, we send a message that cannot be ignored,” Lyon said.
The operation carried out by a heavily armed joint security team saw operatives demolish makeshift tents and crude structures used by the illegal miners. The task force described the raid as part of renewed efforts to stamp out illegal mining activities in the state.
According to Lyon, the operation followed actionable intelligence gathered through sustained surveillance, which revealed that illegal mining had resumed at the Gangtu site despite repeated government warnings, closure orders, and two previous enforcement operations.
“Acting on credible intelligence, we discovered that illegal mining activities had resumed at Gangtu despite repeated government warnings, closure orders and two previous raids conducted at the same location,” he said.
Lyon, who personally led the operation alongside other security personnel, reiterated that the task force would leave no room for ambiguity regarding its mission to eliminate illegal mining across the state.
Immediately after the demolition exercise, a contingent of security personnel comprising the Nigerian Police Force, the Nigerian Army, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and local hunters was deployed to establish a forward operating base at the site.
Lyon confirmed that the security team would maintain a 24-hour presence, conduct routine patrols, and prevent any attempt by illegal miners to return to the location.
He also appealed to members of the public to support the efforts of security agencies by providing timely and credible information on suspicious activities within their communities.
We are here to shut down illegal mining sites, not negotiate – Taraba task force