Reinforcing Safety Measures for Handling Explosives in Nigeria
The Nigerian Police Force has disclosed its plans to enhance efforts in preventing the unprofessional handling of explosives within the country, with particular attention to reducing incidents of explosions. This commitment was affirmed by Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun during a roundtable summit on Sustainable Development of the Mining Industry in Nigeria, held in Abuja. Deputy Inspector-General of Police Frank Mba represented Egbetokun at the event.
Egbetokun emphasized that the measures would involve stringent controls to prevent the proliferation of explosives to unauthorized individuals or groups. Furthermore, he assured that the police are dedicated to reinforcing collaborations with other relevant agencies to secure the mining environment and eradicate criminal activities. In line with this, he mentioned plans to deploy Interpol and Extrapol in addressing crimes within the sector.
The police’s commitment to maintaining safety and order in the mining industry has already yielded results, with the arrest of 198 suspects involved in illegal mining operations since the beginning of the year. A notable proportion of these arrests, 111 individuals, were made in Nasarawa State. Egbetokun credited the success of these operations to the support provided by the state government, which facilitated a conducive environment for law enforcement efforts.
The summit also featured contributions from key figures within the Nigerian mining sector, such as Prof. Akinade Olatunji, President of the Nigerian Mining and Geosciences Society, and Mr Dele Ayanleke, National President of the Miners Association of Nigeria. Olatunji expressed optimism that the summit would bring about positive transformation in the sector, emphasizing the potential for countries that effectively harness the resources within the industry. Ayanleke urged participants to take a practical and proactive approach in addressing the challenges faced by the mining industry, calling for strategic action plans to drive sustainable development and economic revitalization.
Furthermore, the Director-General of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Prof. Ayo Omotayo, emphasized the summit’s objective of devising policies to advance the mining sector and facilitate the diversification of the economy. The Managing Partner of Bruit Costaud, Mr Lai Mohammed, revealed that the insights and recommendations from the summit would be compiled in a comprehensive report to be presented to the government for necessary action.
At the event, it was stated that in January, an explosion resulting from the storage of explosive materials by miners in Ibadan led to the tragic loss of five lives, injuries to 77 individuals, and destruction of 58 buildings. This underscores the urgency of implementing robust safety measures to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future.
The summit, which was organized by the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) Kuru in collaboration with Bruit Costaud, served as a pivotal platform for industry stakeholders to deliberate on measures to address critical issues within the mining sector and pave the way for sustainable growth and development.
