By danivert

Copyright thesun

From John Adams Minna

An attempt by illegal mining operators in Mutun Daya community in Shiroro local government area of Niger state to covert the community primary school into a mining site has resulted in a bloody clashed between the local people and the miners.

A pregnant woman who’s identify could not be immediately asertained as at the time filing this report was shot on her leg by the local security guards employed by the miners to keep the community off from the mining site.
Trouble was said to have started when a prominent politician who is also a member of the Artisan miners in the area (name withheld) attempted to take over the primary school for his mining activities.

The members of the community were said to have vehemently opposed to the move and ordered him to stay clear from their lands even when it was gathered that the miner had reached out to some prominent stakeholders in area.
This development, it was gathered, did not go down well with the miner who quickly mobilized local security guards to protect the site from being invaded by the angry youths from the community.

However, according to a source close to the community, a pregnant woman who was returning from the farm, attempted to pass through the contentious area and was stopped by the local security guards, and this resulted in a hot exchange between them and the woman who insisted on having her way.

She was shot on her leg in the process by the local security guards, and this ignited the already charged atmosphere amongst the youths in the community who stormed the mining site and engaged the security guards in a fierce battle.
Although no life was lost, the quick deployment of security agents to the area prevented the crisis from further escalation as normalcy was immediately restored.

Confirming the incident in a statement in Minna on Tuesday, the state police command said the situation has been brought under control, and the injured victim was taken to a nearby hospital for medical treatment.

The police command in a statement by the Public Relation Officer (PRO) SP Wasiu Abiodun pointed out that “some groups of persons were sighted engaging in illegal mining in a school in Mutun-Daya along Gwada road, and the community members resisted the activities.

“During this, a yet-to-be-identified vigilante man reportedly shot a woman on the leg. As a result of this, aggrieved youths in the area blocked Gwada- Sarkin-Pawa road, while DPO Gwada mobilised to the scene and the youths were persuaded to unblock the road”, he added.

He however said efforts are ongoing to identify and arrest the vigilante man who shot the pregnant woman.
Meanwhile it could be recalled that the state government has at the escalation of bandits activities across the state last year, banned the activities of Artisan miners in the state and the ban is still in force.

This nonetheless did not deterred the miners as it has now assumed a large scale with both men, women and children engaging in the business.