(Governor, Ademola Adeleke. Photo Credit: daily Post)
Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has unveiled fresh measures to tackle rising security worries in the state’s mining sector, including the setting up of a mining community intelligence structure designed to stop suspected b@ndits from infiltrating mining communities.
The governor made this known during a stakeholders’ conference held in Osogbo on Tuesday, which brought together security chiefs, traditional rulers, mining companies, environmental activists and community representatives to deliberate on security challenges facing the mining sector.
Speaking through his Special Adviser on Security, Samuel Ojo, Adeleke explained that the conference was called because peace and security in Osun State, especially within the Ife-Ijesa axis, were being confronted by emerging threats that demanded urgent action.
The governor said the state government had grown increasingly worried about what it called a sudden and unregulated influx of people from several northern states into mining communities across Osun.
He noted that the government was troubled by the unchecked movement of persons from states such as Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto and Kebbi into the state’s mining communities, stressing that while Nigerians seeking legitimate work were not being discriminated against, intelligence indicated that the movement went beyond mining activities.
He added that intelligence reports pointed to some of the newcomers introducing criminal patterns that had earlier ravaged communities in parts of north-western Nigeria.
According to him, some of these elements were bringing along the same criminal blueprint that had wrecked communities in the North West, namely armed camps, illegal taxation, recruitment of youths and the setting up of parallel authority structures.
He warned that failure to act promptly would mean sacrificing the peace Osun is known for on the altar of gold.
Adeleke praised security agencies and community-based actors for their role in monitoring activities within the mining sector, pointing out that his administration was now placing stronger emphasis on emerging threats tied to mining operations.
He disclosed that the authorities had obtained credible intelligence about the presence of suspected b@ndit elements around the Ibodi forests, along with reports of suspicious armed persons moving within the Ilesa corridor.
The governor also voiced concern over the alleged infiltration of some communities by foreign nationals and non-Nigerians operating under false identities.
He said it had been observed that some foreign nationals and non-Nigerians were infiltrating the communities, speaking local languages, carrying fake identification documents and posing as persons from other Nigerian states, adding that their goal was not mining but establishing a foothold.
He called on community leaders to assist authorities in profiling everyone within their domains.
As part of the newly announced security framework, Adeleke revealed the creation of a mining community intelligence architecture for the Ife-Ijesa area, which will link mining sites, community security committees, traditional rulers, divisional police officers and the State Security Council, all under the governor’s oversight.
He directed that every major mining community set up a seven-member Community Security Committee within 14 days.
The governor called on stakeholders to give their full cooperation to the military, police, Department of State Services, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and Amotekun Corps.
He declared that Osun State would not serve as a hideout for b@ndits and that the state’s gold would not be allowed to fund t3rrorism, urging all stakeholders to work together to build the intelligence architecture and secure the land.