By MONSUR OLOWOOPEJO
IKEJA—Lagos State Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources has commenced enforcement of rules and regulations against illegal activities of miners and dredgers in the state.

At the launch of the exercise, Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Mr. Taofiq Tijani, vowed that sand miners and dredgers found operating illegally at unauthorised places would be arrested and prosecuted accordingly.

The commissioner, who led a team of the enforcement unit to monitor activities at  mining and dredging sites in the Badagry axis, advised registered miners in the area to form an association to deal with illegal miners effectively.

He said: “You as registered miners in Badagry Zone should come together and form an association so that it will be easy to identify illegal miners, whose activities are giving you a bad name. Get yourself together within two weeks and report back to my office on the issue of forming an association like those of your counterparts in the Ikorodu and Ibeju-Lekki axis.”

He charged registered sand miners in the area to work within the rules and regulations guiding mining activities in the state.

Tijani said the government would  streamline activities of sand miners and dredgers in line with international standards.

Lamenting the illegal activities of sand excavations and dredging, the commissioner  stressed that those operating illegally cannot escape the long arms of  the law as the office and the state environmental task force had been strengthened to arrest and prosecute those excavating sands in the state without due authorisation.

“Government is poised to check and coordinate sand mining and dredging activities to meet acceptable international standards to avoid serious and irreparable damage to the landscape of the area apart from degradation of the environment,” he said.