Artisanal miners in Zawan and Bukuru, in the Jos South council area of Plateau, have attributed the recent surge in crime to increased illegal tin mining.

The miners, who spoke in separate interviews on Monday, said unregulated mining sites had become hideouts for criminal gangs terrorising communities in the area.

Abel Dung, a miner, said that previously, mining sites were organised, and miners were licensed to operate.

“Today, illegal miners have taken over abandoned pits, and at night, those same places are used by thieves and kidnappers,” Mr Dung said.

Paula Pam said the influx of non-indigenes into illegal mining sites without proper documentation has made security tracking difficult.

“These illegal operators don’t care about community safety. That is why they leave behind open pits, which are now used as criminal dens in the state,” Ms Pam said.

Dongs Chollom, a representative of the artisanal miners in Zawan, called on the Plateau government and mining regulatory agencies to clamp down on illegal operators.

Mr Chollom also urged traditional rulers and security agencies to profile everyone working at mining sites across Jos South to curb the surge in insecurity in the area.

Many areas in Jos South, especially the Bukuru and Zawan axis, have in recent months recorded an increase in cases of theft, armed robbery, and kidnapping, often linked to abandoned mining sites.

(NAN)