The Oyo state government has revealed that it will be undergoing an operation to fish out illegal miners in the state, News About Nigeria reports.
The State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Olusegun Olayiwola, disclosed this while addressing newsmen after a closed-door meeting with the council bosses at the conference room of the ministry in Ibadan, the state capital, on Monday.
He tasked chairmen of various local governments with the responsibility of fishing out illegal miners in the state, irrespective of who or where they were, adding that with the collaboration, assistance, and support of royal fathers and traditional chiefs all over the councils, this will be achieved.
He also urged residents of the communities to always say something whenever they see something, maintaining that this would be of great help in apprehending the illegal miners in the state.
“As a matter of urgency, they should hold an emergency meeting with the security committees of their various local governments and conclude that the committee will serve as a task force that will embark on the manhunting of illegal miners, land grabbers, and bandits,” he said.
He also noted that the state has been coping with the issue of banditry, stating that it was unfortunate that the issue of land grabbing has taken centre stage of the insecurity of lives and property of the citizens of the state.
Olayiwola said that the chairmen and chairwomen of the various local governments in the state are thereby saddled with the responsibility of taking charge of the security situations of their local governments, as the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has given them the power to do so as the Chief Security Officers of their local governments.
