The Zamfara State Police Command has arrested six foreigners from Burkina Faso and Niger Republic in connection with illegal mining and banditry in the state.
The state Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Dalijan, disclosed this in Gusau on Wednesday while parading the suspects at the Command Headquarters.
He said three suspects, who are from Burkina Faso, were arrested along Anka Local Government Area where the mining site of late bandits’ kingpin Halilu Sububu is located.
He noted that the suspects were arrested with some dangerous chemicals including CNI chemicals which they were using in extracting gold.
“They are non-indigenes, they travelled from Burkina Faso to Nigeria purposely to do illegal mining. They have been arrested with these chemicals, including CNI. As you know, CNI is a very dangerous chemical that is being used by criminals in many forms, but they are using it to extract gold.
“We are trying to find out where they keep their arms because we believe they are fully armed, they have taken over the mining pit of the late Halilu Buzu, and we want to find out their relationship.”
According to the CP, 10 additional illegal miners from Talata-Mafara local government were also arrested with many bags of mineral processing chemicals.
Dalijan said the Command also arrested three other foreigners from Niger Republic with three locally fabricated AK-47 rifles and AK-47 ammunition
“We have also arrested three people from the Niger Republic with fabricated AK-47 rifles but they used AK-47 magazines and ammunition, we are trying to find out who the manufacturers are,” he stated.
The commissioner expressed concerns over the rate of irregular migration of foreigners into the country to commit crimes.
He reiterated the Command’s efforts to ensure the ban on mining by the federal and state governments is fully enforced
“We are being threatened by our neighbors, some people from Burkina Faso and Niger coming here to commit all sorts of crimes, for some to leave Burkina Faso to come and enter our bush where our people cannot ordinarily enter, there is more to it.
“I want everybody to know that mining is still illegal, the Federal Government has banned mining in Zamfara State, the state government has also banned mining, the Inspector General of Police has mandated us to enforce the law and we will continue enforcing it until there are no illegal miners in Zamfara State,” the CP added.
