Lagos Begins Clampdown On Illegal Miners, Dredgers

The Lagos State Government has begun the enforcement and clampdown on illegal miners and dredgers in the state.

Flagging off the enforcement exercise, the Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Engr. Taofiq Tijani said sand miners and dredgers found operating illegally at unauthorised places will be arrested and prosecuted accordingly.

The commissioner, who led a team of the enforcement unit to monitor activities at mining and dredging sites in the Badagry axis, advised registered miners in the area to form an association in order to deal with the issues of illegal miners effectively.

“You registered miners in Badagry zone should come together and form an association so that it will be easy to identify any illegal miner whose activities are giving you a bad name.Get yourself together within two weeks and report back to my office on the issue of forming an association like those of your counterparts in the Ikorodu and Ibeju-Lekki axis,” he said.

He charged the registered sand miners in the axis to be alive to their responsibilities in line with the rules and regulations guiding mining activities in the state.

While decrying the activities of illegal sand excavations and dredging, the commissioner vowed that those operating illegally could not escape the long arms of the law as the office and the state environmental task force had been strengthened to arrest and prosecute those excavating sand in the state without due authorisation.

Tijani revealed that the state government was poised to streamline the activities of sand miners and dredgers in the state in line with international standards.

“Government is poised to check and coordinate sand mining and dredging activities to meet acceptable international standards to avoid serious and irreparable damage to the landscape of the area apart from degradation of the environment,” he said.

By Kazeem Ugbodaga