The Minister of Solid Minerals, Dele Alake, has said the Federal Government is committed to ending illegal mining in the country’s mining sector.
Alake spoke when he led a Federal Government delegation to pay a condolence visit to the Oyo State Government over last Tuesday’s explosion at Bodija estate in Ibadan.
The minister contended that powerful Nigerians were behind banditry associated with illegal mining in Nigeria.
He said a lot of banditry, terrorism and insecurity which were being associated with the mining sector were actually sponsored by illegal miners who are powerful people in the society.
He also noted that there are lots of connivance among the strata of the society —- both high, medium and low classes of the society —- in the nation’s mining sector.
He disclosed that the Federal Government would await the final report of the forensic investigations into the causes, effects and possible remedy to the Bodija estate explosion.
Alake however said it was going to be after this that the government would make critical decisions on the unfortunate incident.
