The Benue State Government on Thursday suspended mining activities over the worsening spate of insecurity in Kwande Local Government and other parts of the state.
Samuel Ortom, the governor of the state, submitted the suspension memo in a meeting held with Kwande Stakeholders, at the new Banquet Hall of Government House, Makurdi.
The governor, noted that recent threats to peace in Kwande had to take a proactive step, adding that the state would constitute committees at state, local government and ward levels to regulate the activities of the miners in the state.
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The memo reads in part: “Recent events in Kwande local government area are posing danger and threat to peace in Kwande local government 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 licenses from the federal government because it is the responsibility of the federal government to grant licenses.
“We know that some of the miners don’t have licenses, we have foreigners and indigenous ones among them.
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“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 license”
The governor, further advised those who have licenses to register with the State Ministry of Lands, Survey and Solid Minerals for appropriate profiling.
