Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State has told the Nigerian Army and other security agencies to deal decisively with persons involved in illegal mining, regardless of status.

The governor gave the directive yesterday in Bauchi during the State Security Council meeting, where he identified illegal mining as a major security concern linked to banditry and criminal syndicates.

Stating that his administration would not tolerate activities that undermine the state’s economy and threaten residents’ safety, Mohammed urged the security agencies to intensify efforts against illegal mining and dismantle criminal networks operating across the state.

He listed banditry, kidnapping, cross-border criminal incursions, illegal mining and the spread of misinformation among what he described as the increasingly mobile, adaptive and interconnected threats facing the state and requiring coordinated and sustained security operations.

Meanwhile, the governor commended security personnel for their success in dismantling criminal networks in Alkaleri, Ningi and Ganjuwa local councils, while calling for intensified ground operations and patrols across other vulnerable communities.

Mohammed further warned traditional rulers, community leaders and local council officials against illegal allocation of land, harbouring suspicious individuals, or facilitating unlawful access to mining sites.