From Godwin Agia, in Jalingo
The Taraba State Special Taskforce Committee Chairman on Suspension of Mining and Deforestation Activities, Retired General Jeremiah Faransa, Wednesday said that the activities of illegal miners have caused a lot of havoc ushering in global warming and climate change in the State.
Faransa stated this while briefing newsmen in Jalingo, where he said that the activities of miners have started manifesting in the long draught experienced in August this year.
He said that if measures were not properly taken, Taraba State would experience desert encroachment more than Borno State.
General Faransa also disclosed that the global warming is right here at the nose and the need to send packing the illegal miners.
He stated that numerous arrests have been made since the coming on board of Taraba special taskforce, even as he said all miners in Taraba State are defaulters.
“We have gone round the mining sites in the 16 local government areas of the State, and I want to State categorically that the level of destruction done in this state can never be imagine, the State have been destroy by the illegal miners.
“We arrested so many people including foreigners with expired visa within the State.
“Taraba State have 22 over forest reserve but on the very sad note, all those forest reserved have been destroyed, some of them has turn to farmlands, some turn to mining sites”, he said.
