Major Sapphire Haul Seized in Taraba as Task Force Cracks Down on Illegal Mining
In a significant development, the Special Task Force on Environmental Protection, Public Safety, and Deforestation Prohibition in Taraba State has announced the recovery of a staggering 22,231 kilograms of blue sapphire in the Mayo-Sina region of Sardauna Local Government Area.
Brigadier Gen. Jeremiah Faransa, the Chairman of the task force, made this announcement during a press briefing in Jalingo. Gen. Faransa further disclosed that their mobile court had successfully prosecuted more than 100 individuals involved in illegal mining activities.
Expressing concern over the severe environmental damage caused by illegal miners across the state, Gen. Faransa called for immediate action to protect the ecosystem. He emphasized the importance of Governor Agbu Kefas’s Executive Order 5 as a visionary step towards safeguarding the state’s environment.
Gen. Faransa painted a grim picture of the environmental destruction wrought by illegal mining, extending from Akwana and Arufu in Wukari Local Government to Mayo-Sina in Sardauna, Kungana, and Dogon Yasu in Bali. He stressed the potential consequences, citing the risk to lives should a bandit attack occur in the area and the Akwana-Wukari-Makurdi road become impassable.
The chairman lamented the staggering financial losses incurred due to illegal mining activities, estimating that over 20,000 legal and illegal mining operations existed in Taraba. Some communities have abandoned farming in favor of illegal mining, exacerbating the environmental crisis. During one operation in Mayo-Sina, the task force seized a remarkable 22,231 kilograms of high-quality blue sapphire, a mineral of considerable value.
Gen. Faransa also highlighted the exploitation of thousands of youths engaged in illegal mining, with approximately 5,000 youths aged 18 to 25 in Dogon Yasu, Bali Local Government. These young workers are often denied access to education and receive meager daily wages, ranging from N500 to N1000.
In a stern warning to those involved in illegal mining, Gen. Faransa declared that it would no longer be “business as usual” for the perpetrators.
He called upon licensed miners to adhere to the law and encouraged potential investors in the sector to engage in proper documentation with the state government, ensuring equitable benefits for host communities and government while preserving the environment from selfish exploitation.