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Zamfara gov: Illegal gold miners’ patrons paying with arms

Foreign patrons of illegal gold miners in Zamfara State settle locals with arms, thus fuelling banditry in the state. Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara made the revelation during a visit to President Muhammadu Buhari.

 

The governor, who spoke with State House Correspondents after a closed-door meeting with the President on Monday at the Presidential Villa said: “Zamfara State is blessed with many minerals resources and some people outside the country come in to buy gold and other precious stones and sometimes instead of paying people, they pay back with arms

 

. “I did some investigations on this. So, the state government will be buying some of these minerals from the miners so that we can block that chain.”

 

Speaking on his visit to the President, Matawalle said: “We came to show him how the states profit from illegal miners, especially in the bush. He has seen what we have. We have so many cases of guns in Zamfara State.

 

He is very happy with the system we have initiated and he said whatever support that state government needs, the Federal Government is ready to assist us. “In fact, he has given directive to the Minister of Solid Minerals to work with the state government to make Nigeria a great country in terms of solid minerals, diversify from oil to solid mineral resources.”

 

The governor stated that Mr. President advised him to look for investors in the sector. “What he said was that we should look for serious investors that will come to the state.

 

He even advised me that I should liaise with South African and Russian mining companies so that we can partner with the state and federal governments to achieve much more.

 

“I assured him that once the ban on travelling is lifted, I will travel to South Africa to see some companies and make some assessments. He gave me a fatherly advice,” he said.

Meanwhile, the governor has kicked against the call for the removal of service chiefs. “I advised the president that calling for the sack of the service chiefs is not the solution,” he said.

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