The Senate has asked the Federal Government to strengthen regulation on mining activities in Nigeria, in line with International best practices, and deploy adequate security to the mining communities to prevent further intrusion by informal miners. This resolution followed a motion sponsored by Sen. Sani Musa, on the urgent need to address the incident of a rockslide which buried over 30 people alive in a mining Site in Farin Doki Community, Shiroro Local Government, Niger State on Monday, the 3rd of June, 2024.
The Senate also mandated its committee on solid minerals, to conduct an on-the-spot assessment of the site to investigate the remote, and immediate cause of the rockslide and accelerate the passage of the Mine Ranger Bill currently before the Senate.
Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibril who subsequently declared a minute silence in honour of the victims of the tragic incident, said that the Federal Government is constantly short-changed (especially by foreigners) as exploitation of the sector is conducted without recourse to international best practices.
Death Toll
Meanwhile, 20 people have been confirmed dead from the collapsed mine, in the Galkago community in the Shiroro district of Niger state; while 14 more people are still trapped and awaiting rescue.
This is according to the commissioner of Police Niger State Comman,d Shawulu Danmamman who visited the mine site on Wednesday.
The incident which happened on Monday, was believed to have been caused by the torrential rains which softened the soil.
Niger state emergency service agency spokesman, Hussaini Ibrahim, had said one person was confirmed dead, several others were injured, while 30 persons including the site manager, were trapped as a mining pit collapsed
The police commissioner during his inspection of the mine, said that operators of the collapsed mining site, operated without regard to safety measures and the welfare of the labourers.
The commissioner was accompanied by the state commissioner of Homeland Security, Bello Muhammad, and also the commissioner of solid minerals Garba Auna.
Credit: channelstv.com
