Following a violent altercation that claimed one life, Kebbi State Governor Nasir Idris has ordered the immediate suspension of operations at the Mararrabar Birnin Yauri gold mining site in Ngaski Local Government Area.
The governor ordered security forces to assume complete control of the area until a long-term agreement between the host communities and the Presidential Artisanal Gold Mining Initiative, or PAGMI, was reached during an impromptu visit to the site on Thursday.
Despite owning the land, he voiced concern that Kebbi communities were being marginalized in the mining industry and cautioned against the flood of foreigners entering the state from Mali, Tanzania, Chad, and Niger.
In order to maintain discipline in the industry, Idris further directed the Ministry of Mining to create a list of all authorized miners and companies doing business in Kebbi.
The governor also urged the roughly fifty young people who had been remanded for violence related to mining to embrace peace and communication before approving their release.
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