Miners have no link with bandits – Miners Association

National President, Miners Association of Nigeria (MAN), Kabir Kankara, has revealed that miners do not have any links with bandits.

“To the best of my knowledge, our members have no connection with bandits, we are in line with any measure proffered by the Federal Government to forestall insecurity in Zamfara,” he told the News Agency of Nigeria on Thursday in Abuja.

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“Yes, our mining activities occur in the bush but we do not have links with bandits, we are just victims of circumstance,” he said.

He spoke against the backdrop of the recent Federal Government ban on mining activities in Zamfara, due to the upsurge in banditry.

Kankara noted that tackling insecurity in the state was a timely and welcome development, as it was for the safety of lives and property.

The Federal Government on Tuesday, announced a complete ban on mining activities in Zamfara, declaring the State a “no-fly zone.”

The President approved the ban on all mining activities in the state with immediate effect until further notice.

Dele Ayanleke, National Secretary of MAN, said that miners were not against any measure taken by the Federal government to forestall insecurity in the country.

Ayanleke advised the government to take steps to ensure that artisanal miners do not encroach into sites belonging to mining titleholders during the period of the ban. (NAN)