A group of miners, on Tuesday, reportedly attacked a community in Niger State after members of the community reported the unwanted mining operation to the Police.
According to Channels TV, the miners attacked the MI Wushishi housing estate in Minna, destroying vehicles and buildings. Some estate residents have fled their homes in fear of further attacks.
It was reported that the miners attacked the community after police officers chased them away at the request of residents.
Meanwhile, the State chairman of the Miners Association of Nigeria, Yusuf Mami, told Channels TV that the attackers were not members of the association. He argued that they were not miners at all.
However, he admitted that some youths within the community dig up soil randomly in search of gold and subsequently become violent.
Illegal and legal mining operations are believed to fuel insecurity in Nigeria’s Middle Belt and Northern regions.
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