Bauchi Governor Orders Security Forces to Prosecute Illegal Miners

Governor Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed has tasked security agencies, particularly the Nigerian Army, with stepping up operations against unauthorized mining throughout Bauchi State. This instruction was delivered while meeting with Major General W.M.

Dangana, General Officer Commanding of the 3 Division in Jos and head of Operation Safe Haven/Operation Enduring Peace. Mohammed made clear that those engaged in illegal mining would face legal consequences irrespective of their standing in society or ties to influential families.

Addressing the military delegation, he stressed that kinship would offer no shield from prosecution if involvement in such criminal activities were established, characterizing the enforcement effort as ensuring uniform application of justice. Coordinated efforts between armed forces and other security bodies remain essential to dismantle syndicates behind the mining operations, the governor insisted.

He urged the Joint Task Force to strengthen its intelligence work, enabling them to locate and capture perpetrators operating within the state. This mandate reflects the administration's resolve to safeguard the comparative peace that Bauchi has achieved.

Dangana's visit to the Government House represented his first tour of military units operating within his jurisdiction. The forceful tone adopted by the governor in his remarks reflects growing anxiety regarding how unauthorized mining threatens the state's security landscape and institutional stability.

Prosecution of those identified by security personnel is now the clear responsibility assigned to law enforcement.