Taraba Government Forms New Task Force to Fight Illegal Mining

Taraba State has dissolved all existing committees and task forces created to combat illegal mining and replaced them with a new team tasked with intensifying enforcement.

Secretary to the Government of the State Gebon Kataps announced the decision in a statement. He said the new task force would also protect Taraba’s forests, environment and other natural resources, while enforcing relevant environmental laws and regulations.

Army Major A.M. Ghali will command the team, with Army Captain K.R. Odenusi as second-in-command. Ishaku Daniel, Iziogo Philip, Olakunle D., Kabiru Musa, Zibai Ayuba and Suleiman Daniel will also serve on the task force. Relevant security agencies will provide operational support, while the team will work with the mobile court established under the state’s existing executive orders. It must submit periodic reports through the secretary’s office.

The restructuring comes as the government tries to contain illegal mining that has continued in several parts of Taraba despite earlier enforcement measures. In Gantu, in Bali Local Government Area, authorities raided a gold-mining site in July, arrested two suspected illegal miners and recovered equipment. The government later said it arrested 50 suspected illegal miners and dispersed more than 500 others in August. It also reported confiscating equipment and returning 24 suspected miners to Zamfara State.

Those repeated operations point to the difficulty of sustaining enforcement across remote mining locations. Illegal mining is costing the state potential revenue and can damage vegetation, farmland and water sources. Authorities have also raised concerns about deforestation and other environmental degradation linked to mining.