By Celestine Ihejirika, Jalingo
More than 22 forest reserves in Taraba State have been completely destroyed with many turned into farmlands and mining sites despite several warnings on the ongoing Global climate change.
Chairman Taraba State task force on illegal mining and felling of trees, General Aliyu Jeremiah Faransa (rtd) who started this while beefing newsmen on the activities of the taskforce committee during period under review on Wednesday decried as alarming the damage done by illegal miners in the state particularly at Gashaka, Wukari and Bali local government areas respectively.
According to him, several arrests have been made in the affected areas while he expressed shock that the majority of the illegal miners also caught across foreigners from Mali, Chad, Burkina Faso and Chinese pointing out that they have been handed over to mobile court for prosecution.
General Faransa further disclosed that plans to set up a task force in all the 16 local government areas of the state are on the pipeline just as he expressed dismay over presence of illegal merchants in the state who have invaded Taraba felling economic trees indiscriminately without government approved license.
The task force chairman warned those behind the acts to desist in their best interest as the state government will no longer tolerate illegal felling of trees when the issue of Global climate change is in our doorsteps.
In the meantime General Faransaalso disclosed that the taskforce committee has carried out several sensitization messages and awareness to draw the attention of the communities on the danger of illegal mining activities and felling down of trees, a situation he vowed not to relent until the narrative is changed.
He also explained that activities of nefarious persons venturing into illegal mining in the communities poses dangers and threats, noting that series of kidnapping, terrorism, banditry and drugs are potential tendencies where the criminals often traced to illegal allies coming into the state without knowledge of appropriate personnel.
General Faransa added, mining is in the exclusive lists of the government and therefore will not fold its arms watching illegal miners invading the state without observing rules and regulations.
