National President, Miners Association of Nigeria (MAN), Mr Kabir Kankara, has said that miners do not have any links with bandits.
Kankara made this known in an interview with newsmen on Thursday in Abuja.
He spoke against the backdrop of the recent Federal Government ban on mining activities in Zamfara, due to the upsurge in banditry.
The Federal Government on Tuesday, announced a complete ban on mining activities in Zamfara, declaring the State a “no fly zone.”
The President approved the ban on all mining activities in the state with immediate effect until further notice.
Kankara said that tackling insecurity in the state was timely and a welcome development, as it was for the safety of lives and property.
“To the best of my knowledge, our members have no connection with bandits, we are in line with any measure proffered by the Federal Government to forestall insecurity in Zamfara.
”Yes, our mining activities occur in the bush but we do not have links with bandits, we are just victims of circumstance,” he said.
Also, Mr Dele Ayanleke, National Secretary of MAN, said that miners were not against any measure taken by the Federal government to forestall insecurity in the country.
Ayanleke advised the government to take steps to ensure that artisanal miners do not encroach into sites belonging to mining title holders during the period of the ban.
