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The Federal Government has ordered the suspension of all mining activities in Zamfara state with immediate effect.

The directive was made known on Sunday by the Inspector General of Police Mohammed Adamu at a press conference in Abuja. The IGP revealed that all foreigners on mining sites have been asked to vacate their locations or risk losing their licenses.

            The Federal Government of Nigeria has decided as follows; Mining activities in Zamfara and its environment are hereby suspended with immediate effect. Consequently, any mining operator who engages in mining activities in the affected locations henceforth will have his or her license revoked. The IGP said ‘Operation Puff-Adder’ is to enforce the directive. The directive followed the launch of Operation Puff-Adder to tackle kidnapping, banditry and other criminal activities along the Kaduna-Abuja highway and adjoining communities extending to Kogi, Katsina, Niger and Zamfara states. The operation is aimed at reclaiming every public space under the control of the bandits. Arrest and bring to book, all perpetrators of the violence in the area and their collaborators and to achieve a total destruction of all criminal camps and hide-out. He called for collaborations with the general public, traditional and religious leaders, as the security forces embark on flushing out armed banditry in the region. I want to assure the general public, especially in the affected areas, that the security services are doing their best to address the security situation. May I appeal for the cooperation of the local communities, especially the traditional and religious leaders within the community to cooperate with the security agencies.