…warns against child labour
The Nasarawa State Government has warned against illegal mining, child labour and environmental pollution.
The government said violators and local accomplices would face prosecution and prison terms.
Speaking at a press conference on Friday in Lafia, the Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Princess Margaret Elayo, stated that the decisive action followed reports of over 30 teenage deaths at illegal mining sites in neighbouring Niger State, alongside undercover video evidence from within Nasarawa.
Elayo criticised operators who obtain federal exploration permits but illegally conduct full-scale commercial extraction. She noted that these operations frequently deploy minors into hazardous, chemical-heavy sites without protective equipment and discharge polluted wastewater into local community streams.
”We will arrest you and lock you up. What you cannot do to your own children, you should not do to others,” Elayo warned.
The commissioner however commended compliant operators, pointing to Diamond Energy’s lithium plant as an example of responsible industry practice for using closed-loop water recycling and drilling clean boreholes for host communities.
To combat child labour, Elayo disclosed that the ministry has previously paid school fees for rescued minors to keep them off mining sites.
She added that executive proposals are being prepared for Governor Abdullahi Sule to allow the state to take custody of children repeatedly exposed to dangerous working conditions by their guardians.
The commissioner explained that security personnel and covert mining marshals have been deployed to high-risk zones across the state.
Elayo urged traditional rulers, local leaders, and residents to report unauthorised operators immediately rather than entering into private negotiations.
”If you see something, say something, irrespective of who is involved. Our resources should enrich the citizens of Nasarawa State, not destroy them,” she said.
Citing reports from some minning communities, the commissioner explained that the Ministry received information that some mining sites in Wamba , Nasarawa-Eggon and Kokona LGAs were primary illegal mining hotspots.
”Illegal mining is unacceptable, regardless of who you are. It broke my heart to see young kids with no shoes or clothing going into deep holes that could collapse at any minute. We are putting a stop to this in Nasarawa State,”Elayo said.
